Percy Jackson: The Hunter and the Guardian
by Don Socrates
Summary: WOO PERTEMIS! Sorry, I had to get that out my system beforehand. So yeah, My two OC's are here, but it's still going to be Pertemis heavy. I hope you guys enjoy. I'll say right now that it may very well branch off into an M rating for reasons that will be left to your imagination ;)
1. The Big Three

**Chapter 1 – The Big Three**

As sons of the big three, all eyes were on them. They had been watched for their whole lives and expected to be the making or breaking point for Olympus. The prophesy had stated that it would be down to a son of the big three to finally save or raze Olympus. Percy Jackson was on his knees breathing heavily with blood pouring freely from the various cuts around his body. He had taken the selfless decision upon himself to be the one to venture into the river Styx. The invulnerability that had served him so well did not do as well against the soul reaping scythe of the titan lord Kronos. He bled but soon enough those cuts and bruises would heal themselves nicely. Looking around he caught sight of his to cousins who had been slowed up on their way to the throne room. Taz Mason had stopped to help his sister, Thalia Grace who'd been ironically trapped under a fallen statue of Hera. Taz took great pleasure in destroying her statue in the name of freeing Thalia; something that he knew Zeus could forgive.

Taz had seen a lot of action today and gained a substantial amount of scars due to the sheer amount of Empousa that he'd had to fight off when freeing Thalia from the fallen statue. The last ones were being cut down as Percy's other cousins swooped in. Nico Di Angelo follow his older brother up the stairs to the throne room. Dante Krios was the same age as Percy and Taz and as of their first year in camp together, had been extremely close friends. Dante was on a spree, using his twin blades to strike down any monster that dared to challenge him. Nico was being followed by a squad of undead fighters that he'd summoned back in the world below. Zeus hardly destroyed any of them straight away, they needed all the help that they could get for defending Olympus.

Percy heard the doors swing wide open and Dante barrel rolled through them with what seemed like an incredibly casual look considering the situation they were in. Percy had defeated the Titan lord with the help of an old friend, Luke Castellan, who had managed to temporarily gain control of his body once more, and finished the job with the cursed blade. Annabeth had sustained some serious injuries as they all had. Thalia hobbled forwards, Taz helped her along supporting her shoulders. Nico fell to the ground from exhaustion. He would be fine after his fatigue induced sleep. Taz had burn marks all over him from where he took on the Colchis bull in single combat. Dante seemed to have the worst of the injury though. He had cold flaky blood swept down half of his face. It matched his blood red eyes. The blood was thick and stuck to his already short matted jet black hair. He had half of a celestial bronze plate of armour stuck to his well-toned physique. The muscles rippling underneath the wet and tight skin. He'd gotten a lot of cuts around his body as well, and even had an arrow sticking out of his right shoulder. It was no secret, Dante was far tougher than any of them demi-gods, but yet he wasn't the strongest or fastest or smartest, he just had an incredible talent for being stubborn when it came down to his personal fortitude. Many younger campers had the rumour that he was too stubborn to die.

Taz's electric blue eyes scanned the scene quickly before he saw the gods smash through the doors to the throne room. They were too late to join the fight but their help would be needed straight away if they were to save their sons and daughters. Apollo marched past everyone else and saw to Annabeth's injuries first. He looked at the others while he worked on Chase. The burns on the son of Zeus would go away soon, they were minor but there was many of them. Percy was a special case and everyone knew that not even Apollo could heal him. The injuries would naturally heal themselves; that was the curse of Achilles. Apollo had to do a double take when he spotted Dante. He was surprised that he was even still standing. His celestial bronze plate had taken so much damage that it was barely still clinging to his body by one of the thick leather straps that hung lazily over his shoulder. He saw no point in keeping it on, the battle was over. He ripped it from his body with incredible ease.

Apollo could then see the rest of the damage on Dante's body. Many open wounds, most of which would be easy to heal. Alongside the arrow that was sticking out of his shoulder, he spotted a few glints of mental surrounding a small burn mark on the boy's right side. He sent him a questioning look. "Shrapnel on the outside on the casing of a bomb with Greek fire in it. I'd say that it was bloody genius if it hadn't hit me dead on." Dante said, brushing a hand lightly against the wound that he was talking about. The gods had all filed into the throne room at this point and were continuing to start to fix the immediate damage. Apollo carried on with his self-inflicted task of healing the demi-gods to the best of his ability. "I'm surprised that the Hades lad is still alive." Apollo whispered to his twin sister, Artemis. Apparently Dante had heard this comment however and responded in such a manner that got respect from the god of war.

"It's because I'm a hard ass mother fucker." He said, only wincing slightly when he plucked the arrow straight out of his shoulder. Judging by the way his shoulder moved afterwards, he managed to self-diagnose that the arrow's penetration had cleanly cracked his shoulder blade. Aries chuckled despite everything that had happened. It seemed that the war had only gotten him excited and pumped up. The actual fighting had sated his appetite for some time however. Dante sat down finally, letting his body rest from the fighting the sweat and blood dropped around his body and on to his aching muscles. All he could think about was taking a really long bath and falling asleep for a week.

"I'm not going to skirt around it, the lot of you have saved Olympus from certain destruction. Without any one of you we would have failed today." Zeus said in an exhausted tone as he took up his mantle and immediately looked rejuvenated to some extent. As each of the gods sat on their respective thrones, they seemed to be healed from the constant fighting.

"I think some kind of reward is in order, yes? How about some food, I'd kill to have a steak right now." Dante started being a smartass. Usually the gods wouldn't appreciate such disregard for respect but after the day they had all had, no one blamed the demi-god for being in a bad mood. "Food would be good." Percy agreed. Hestia nodded casually and trays of food and water appeared on the ground next to each one of the young demi-gods.


	2. Rewards

**Chapter 2 - Rewards**

Both Percy and Taz immediately went for the sparkling jugs of water that were put before them, desperate to replenish themselves. Dante however opted for gently crawling towards a sparkling jug that was filled to the brim with purple wine. He managed to down the entire jug in mere moments, leaving him feeling fulfilled and a lot happier than he had been previously. He had a moment of victory to himself before they all gave their attention back to the gods. Artemis had come over to Dante in her human size and twirled her hand, signalling that he needed to give her some room to heal his injuries. He slowly agreed and shifted his seated position so that the Goddess of the Hunt could continue.

Percy had used most of the drinking water to actually selfheal. The curse of Achilles was what had stopped Apollo from doing it himself, but Percy's powers of self-preservation were very much still there. Annabeth managed to flitter back into consciousness and was given a square of ambrosia to help her regenerate at a much faster natural rate.

One by one the demi-gods were brought before the council to talk about the reward that was offered to them. Each and every demi-god was offered a reward specific to them, but after that Zeus had asked that Percy, Dante and Taz remain while the others left. Annabeth and Nico helped Thalia out and they left to get some rest. They were allowed to stay on Olympus that night, and for that they were truly thankful.

"Ow." Dante hissed as Artemis started poking around the pieces of shrapnel that lined his left side. She'd healed the burn damage but the metal shard had remained, and seemingly refused to leave him.

"We wanted to offer you three something a little bit different from simple immortality." Zeus began to explain but he found it a little bit harder than he'd originally thought. What he'd been proposed by his daughter Athena was complex and left three of the most capable demi-gods free to roam without any official links to Olympus.

"We are offering you a new role within our godly society." Athena began to explain, knowing that she would do it better than Zeus could, "Three immortal Guardians. You would be free to do as you please, whether it's simply hunting down monsters, preventing the next titan uprising, or helping demi-gods escape their mortal lives, and find safety in camp half-blood." Athena told them.

Percy couldn't help but look around at the faces of the gods to see if this was a decision made between the council or just an idea that Zeus had to create an elite fighting force at his command. He didn't get anything more than an emotionless expression from Hades, who was now proudly sitting on a throne because of Percy's personal wish. He got a funny look from Artemis who looked away the moment their eyes locked, he thought that was a bit strange.

"Guardians. I like the sound of that. It kind of just rolls off the tongue." Dante rambled quietly, unsure whether or not Zeus had even heard him. Taz was watching the healing process intently, pulling his wavy blonde hair out of his eyes every now and then to keep his vision clear. Artemis had now managed to extract all of the shards from Dante's ribs and left his side without any further words. Dante muttered something about the typicality of it all.

Percy and Taz exchanged a glance at the offer they had been presented with. "All you must do is swear your loyalty to Olympus. We will only call upon you should we truly need the aid of the Guardians. You three are the strongest demi-gods to have ever lived and we can all see potential fro so much more" Zeus returned to be the leading voice of the council. He'd laid down his terms and eagerly awaited a response.

Dante got up and walked over to the other two. They quietly conferred amongst themselves before a decision was clearly made. Percy was the first to kneel to the council. "I swear on the river Styx; to always answer the call of the Olympians and to never to sway in my loyalty of Olympus." Percy said with a fiery conviction. Thunder rumbled outside the throne room, signalling the deal had been done. The gods all muttered their surprise, but it was mostly positive. Taz and Dante did the same thing. It had been done, all three Guardians had sworn oaths on the Styx to become eternal warriors sworn to aid Olympus should the need ever arise.

"Go now. The celebrations are about to begin." Zeus commanded, but this time he had somewhat of a smile adorning his face. It was strange, but after all this time, they were finally free from the threat of Kronos taking over the world and destroying Olympus. The boys left the throne room and the moment that they did, they noticed that each of them shimmered slightly. Percy had a blue light to his body, much like how the hunters of Artemis shone silver in the moon light. Taz had a bright yellow shine that came around every once in a while, seemingly emulating that of power and electricity. Dante of course had a deep red colour to him, as bright as the hell fire of Hades. They emerged from the throne room as different men; immortal men; the Guardians.

The celebrations were vast and everyone they knew had come along to congratulate the defenders of Olympus for saving everyone. Aries and Dante were deep in a chat about their favourite ways to kill a Manticore. To anyone outside of their conversation, they would have appeared complete barbarians. Both Taz and Thalia were enjoying the time that they could talk to their father without it being in any vague form of lightening. Nico was proudly standing with his father, getting a lot of attention from the many daughters of Aphrodite. "Go on." Hades rolled his eyes with a laugh before pushing his younger boy towards the women. Dante noticed this and raised his eyebrow at his father. Hades only winked before stalking off to find Poseidon. "Excuse me, Dante?" A feminine but godlike voiced asked for the man. Turning around he found himself face to face with the goddess of the hunt. He still felt obliged to bow whenever he was presented before a different god or goddess. She scowled slightly at him. "Please stop doing that." She told him. He was more doing it now to annoy her however. There was no malice in it, that's just how he was, and fortunately Artemis could see that.

She scowled at him briefly, "Are you just doing this to annoy me?" She asked him in an overly serious manner. He couldn't help but smirk. "A little bit, yeah." He admitted, still feeling annoyed that she'd been careless with his wounds, he knew she could have done it without hurting him. She tilted her head slightly. "It's not wise to anger a god." Artemis responded calmly. Dante shrugged and had a careless expression. "It's not wise to be this beautiful around a son of Hades." He retorted flashing a good natured smile her way. She smiled back using it as a front. She was actually looking past his veteran body, and into his mind. He frowned immediately. She noticed this and was shocked when she could no longer see into the immortal's mind.

"Just ask me, and I'll gladly tell you anything you wish to know." He explained calmly. She looked into his eyes again and saw nothing but the truth. Artemis did however get a small piece of information that she was seeking before Dante could block her off. "You are flirty and a ladies man with every woman you meet, however you have no intention of involving yourself with them. On first appearance, you are the prime specimen of what my hunters and I hate. But under that layer you're completely different. Kind and caring and would never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it." Artemis cocked her head slightly. "You are one of the few exceptions of men that I will tolerate." She smiled briefly at one of the champions of Olympus.

Dante couldn't believe what he'd just heard, that was incredible. "So despite the animal that I turn into when I'm fighting, and my surprisingly crass personality, you'd still count me as an exception to other men?" He questioned her, enjoying his time to poke fun at gods. She considered this for a moment before placing a single finger on his forehead. He scowled at the god, this time he could not prevent her from entering his mind. "You never use this personality to women with the exceptions of personal jest to those close to you where the situations would be understood by both parties." Artemis continued, releasing her hold over his mind. He muffled a slight growl at the personal intrusion. "And everyone has their darker sides, I would expect nothing different from a son of Hades. It has been a pleasure to fight alongside you today Dante. Some advice for you though, do not let your anger overwhelm you. It may prove to be both a blessing and a curse." Artemis smiled before she went to find the other Guardians. Dante frowned. A blessing AND a curse? Why did gods always have to be so cryptic? Sighing, Dante went to go and mingle with other gods and demi-gods alike. A quick stop by Dionysus first though, his wine was getting dangerously low.


	3. Celebrations

**Chapter 3 - Celebrations**

Sitting at a table in the godly pavilion where the main feast was being held, Zeus like all of the other gods had assumed a human size so that it would be more of a normal celebration for the true heroes of Olympus. Sitting with him were two of his children, both immortals now. Thalia had achieved immortality by joining the hunt of his godly daughter, Artemis. His son, Taz had become a Guardian, a completely new role within their society. They had been talking like a regular family but the conversation soon swept to their shared passion for battle. Artemis came over and it was a different scene once she got there.

Thalia stood to attention and Taz kneeled in front of her. Artemis laughed lightly. "Thalia there's really no need for that. Not only are you my highest lieutenant, but you're my sister." She smiled before turning to Taz. "Taz get up, you're making the floor dirty." She smirked before talking to her family, like family, despite him being a man. "You're my brother, and more than that, you're a Guardian now. They are above the minor gods of Olympus. You do not need to kneel in front of me any longer." She smiled equally before saying her piece to her father. The small part of the family had laughed and drank before Artemis moved on once more. This time to find the Guardian that most intrigued her. She didn't quite know why he interested her so much but she was determined to find out. He was no doubt celebrating alongside Annabeth, the daughter of Athena.

Artemis had to question why there had never been anything between the two demi-gods. They'd had the closest friendship out of anyone of the demi-gods that she'd ever seen and as of yet neither of them had shown any interest in each other beyond their inseparable friendship. She couldn't exactly blame Annabeth though, for Percy was above all, a man. He was a Guardian now though and she suspected that his duties would slowly separate them, which saddened her greatly. Annabeth had been gifted godship, she was both the minor god of Wisdom and Architecture, following after Athena and Hestia respectively. Artemis noticed a shimmer of blue light and she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She spotted Percy but the shimmer didn't die down. She looked over to her father who was smirking at her. He had bestowed every possible privilege of godhood on them except for the essence of being a god. If they had been made gods, they would have been forbidden from intervening with mortal affairs. This way, Olympus could still retain a strong handhold on the mortal world.

She came into sight of Percy who had been merely talking with some other demi-gods and feasting. "My lady." He said as he kneeled to the ground, alongside the other demi-gods in the area. Most dispersed however due to the intimidating nature of the Goddess of the Hunt.

"Jackson." She smiled briefly. Annabeth went to find Grover who had been relentlessly chasing some Nymphs for the last hour at least. Percy noticed how she had assumed her human form, yet retained her godlike appearance. He noted how beautiful she was. Not quite Aphrodite but if anything, beauty could easily have been a secondary godship for Artemis. "Was there something you needed m'lady?" Percy asked her respectfully. He didn't know why she wanted to talk to him, but he had to act normally. He was only used to a few gods even know. Mostly his father and Zeus, he had however had his fair share of dealings with Aries. A painful collection of dealings.

"Oh? I cannot just celebrate and congratulate one of the heroes of Olympus?" She asked him with a scorching scowl. He didn't flinch at all by her scolding demeanour which shocked her. "Yeah but… I'm still just a man. I thought you hated men?" He asked her, slightly confused but still no trace of fear of the god. She liked that, he and his cousins were brave and fiercely loyal to one another. They also each had an incredible respect for women alike, despite any faults that they had, they were a few men that Artemis could easily tolerate, and being Guardians it would be inevitable that they and the hunters would no doubt end up working together.

The celebrations carried on but there was some commotion that prevented Artemis from talking with Percy any further which greatly disappointed her. She'd get her chance another day though. Everyone looked over to Taz and Dante chasing Grover and Annabeth through the pavilion, the former two cursing at the troublemakers whilst Annabeth and Grover laughed alongside most of the party goers. Apollo burst out into laughter next to Hermes. It must have been those two gods that put Annabeth and Grover up to whatever prank that had achieved. Looking closer Percy pointed to something so that Artemis could see where to look. She leaned in, placing a hand on Percy's arm. He noticed this but she didn't, he found it strange to say the least but once she'd found what everyone was looking at she let go.

Somehow, they had tied the laces from Dante's combat boots, up with those of Taz's converse. They hobbled along trying to catch the pranksters. They got far too frustrated however and begun to fight between themselves, throwing punches. Lightening hit around them while the ground began to spontaneously combust on places that they'd previously been. Percy sighed before looking back at Artemis who had an expectant expression, she was obviously waiting to see how he would handle the situation. He bowed deeply which annoyed the goddess. Percy was clearly the peacekeeper between the cousins and he would be a vital part of their success as Guardians.

Vaulting over a table he flicked his wrist and immediately a jug of water came to life, the contents emptying itself over the fighting cousins who abruptly stopped when they had been soaked to the bone. "Done?" Percy asked them. The both nodded in agreement before Dante sent one final jab into the arm of his lightening cousin. The fight was over and they were untied from each other. They both exchanged a glance before looking over at Annabeth and Grover who paled when he realized that now the cousins were free, there was no chance of escape. "Bah." Grover bleated. Annabeth had already disappeared. Dante chased her down before long. The celebrations for the night continued after their light entertainment.


	4. Time Gone By

**Chapter 4 - Time Gone By**

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**One year later.**

Artemis and her hunters had set up their camp in a thick forest where visibility by mortals was zero. None of the gods had seen or heard from the Guardians in seven months and things were getting a bit restless with monster sightings. The hunters would take the challenge upon themselves, but help was needed for the bigger bands that were starting to emerge. Thalia snapped her head to the sound of a nearby crack of roots. None of the hunters were careless enough to make any noise in the woods. She pulled back an arrow on her bow and slowly the other hunters caught onto what was happening. Stunned at the sight of a very calm Manticore slowly stalking it's way into Artemis' encampment they all got bows at the ready and began firing but before the Manticore could be taken down a flash of metal had landed in front of it. The Colchis bull had deflected every shot that had been fired at the monsters. Knowing that they had more than an unfair fight on their hands they began to slowly retreat when they heard another sound. The Minotaur was billowing smoke from it's nose, wielding a huge axe in it's hands.

Artemis cursed their luck. They had been out for a full day of hunting down lesser monsters and now here they were, tired and having to fight off three greater monsters. A flash of lightening had caught everyone's attention, both the hunters and the monsters. Once Artemis looked back towards the threat, there stood a warrior clad in all white armour that she'd never seen the likes of before. Around the edges off the armour was a pulsing yellow trim that seemed to ooze power. The thing that caught her attention the most was the set of feather angelic wings hanging from the warrior's back with such grace and elegance. The next thing she knew she could smell the salty breeze of the sea and out of nowhere there stood another warrior. This one had the same white armour on except for the small fact that he had a sea blue trim around his armour as opposed to the brilliant yellow. This warrior had no wings aligning his back though. But had what seemed like a watery overlay just flowing freely over parts of the armour. Artemis couldn't believe her eyes. It was like the gods had seen they needed help. The ground shook violently before opening up and a third and final white warrior leapt up from a fissure that quickly closed itself up. This one had the same armour as the other two but with deep red trim around the protruding armour pieces. He also had no wings on his back, but with an entrance like that she doubted he needed it. She gasped. It was the Guardians, but she'd never seen armour like this, it must have been a blessing from Hephaestus.

The Minotaur charged straight at them but the one with wings leaped up high and punched it directly in the face sending it hurtling back towards the tree line. The Colchis bull and the Manticore assumed a defensive position at these new arrivals. "Hey no fair, we didn't even Ro Sham Bo for the Minotaur!" A familiar voice called out in genuine hurt, it was the red trimmed warrior. The Hunters couldn't believe it, they had formed a triangle and were literally playing rock, paper, and scissors over who got to fight the biggest one. After two knockouts, the red warrior let out a victorious yell. It seemed that the Guardians had decided their battle plan just in time, the Minotaur had charged using its horns directly at the three. The blue one turned his body into a wave and moved out of the way with grace just as the yellow one jumped and his wings extended. He pulled out a great sword that looked heavier than the armour itself. He converged on the Colchis bull, landing on its back.

The Minotaur reached the cheering Guardian and almost hit him dead on when the danger seemed to hit home with him. He turned and grabbed the Minotaur by the horns, almost stopping it in its tracks. The Minotaur managed to push him back a few feet until the charged assault was finally stopped. Artemis couldn't believe it. Not even some of the gods had power and strength enough to stop the Minotaur at full charge. "M'lady." The warrior nodded as he broke off from the Minotaur's horns and landed a few punches in its face, effectively disorientating it. He pulled out two daggers that didn't contain a contingent composition. Half of them were celestial bronze while the other side of the daggers were composed of the same metal that their armour seemed to be made from. Artemis noticed that their armour was not of Ancient Greek design. It had Hephaestus' touch to it, but it was modern, much like a power armour made from coated celestial bronze. The strength required to carry around that much metal was astounding though, let alone to be fighting with as much dexterity as one of her hunters.

Artemis' focus had been captured when the blue trimmed warrior had uncapped a pen that turned into a very complex short sword. Riptide. It WAS Percy. She should have known, no other children of Poseidon would be strong enough to travel via water molecules. He fought with even more prowess than he had on Olympus. This past year he had only improved on his skills. That must have meant that the one with the angelic wings could only be Taz, her younger brother. Which meant that the last remaining Guardian was none other than the eldest son of Hades. Dante threw one of his dagger and managed to impale it in the Minotaurs beefy neck. The next dagger was used as a club, he jumped and pounded the already embedded dagger straight into the throat of the charging brute. It turned into dust before it even hit the ground. Dante thrust his hand into the mountain of golden dust and retrieved his lodged blade and socketed them both before turning towards the other two Guardians. The moment he turned he dodged and narrowly avoided the thorn from the Manticore's sting. "Perce, stop him from doing that." Dante supplied. The moment he'd said that, the other Guardian had corresponded, twisting high over the swipes that the Manticore was giving him and slicing his tail in half, right before landing with a thud and sticking Riptide straight through the monster's back. The Manticore turned to dust before their eyes. That left Taz and the Colchis bull who had disappeared from view but was still within earshot.

Lightening shook the ground and the next thing they saw was the last Guardian join the ground with golden ichor pouring out of his leg. The gold dust spread out into the wind. They were all completely unharmed except for the small scratch that Taz had sustained. The huntes all had their bows drawn and were ready to shoot at them. Phoebe let fly an arrow that would have hit Dante square in the white helmet that covered each of their faces completely. Percy caught the arrow mere inches from his cousin's face which caused Phoebe to stare in shock. No man should be able to do that. Dante examined this and took the arrow from Percy's hand before casually walking straight towards Phoebe, ignoring the threats from the other archers completely. He stopped about a foot from the perpetrator. Artemis examined this completely. She knew for a fact what each and every Guardian was like and knew that they were no threat to them.

Artemis waved her hand and the hunters all lowered their bows. Phoebe kept her look of defiance. Dante's faceplate swiped upwards revealing his naturally good looking face. "That; wasn't a very nice thing to do huntress." He said, handing back the arrow that would have caused him a lot of pain had it hit him. He turned his focus towards Artemis. The other two Guardians had caught up, flanking him perfectly. Their face plates coming up as well. Artemis noticed Percy's sea green eyes looking directly at hers and once again couldn't understand why she was so interested in him and his engaging stare.

They all kneeled before the maiden goddess, "The Guardians are at your disposal." Taz told her. They all rose once again. The respect that Artemis felt for these men was above everything. That would have been a tough enough fight as it was without them, but they handled it with one person to each greater monster. Better than her hunters could have done it, she dared say. "Follow me." She told them as she led them all to her tent of strategy and planning. Inside there was a big table with a man that seemed overlaid with one of modern day New York. They were tracking something big, this was definitely an area of expertise for the Guardians to help them out in. The three cousins couldn't help but smile at the prospect of fighting something huge alongside the goddess of the hunt.

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**Hey guys, I hope you like this. I'm going to more or less put the finer summary of this story here, so if you're reading this then it's obvious by now that you liked it. Right, as of this moment I'm only certain about one pairing and that's the Pertemis. I might pair off Dante and Taz at some point but I don't know who to, what do you guys think? Oh and in case you didn't catch on earlier, absolutely NO Percabeth in my story, there never has been and there never will be. So how about it, give us a review? ;)**


	5. Planning

**Chapter 5 - Planning**

**Chapter 2**

**A few things first. Thanks to the guys who have reviewed the story so far and shown support. Here's just a few little bits of insight from those reviews. Oh and you'll see that Taz's coupling is more or less done.**

**Jake Wolf: They're getting along… For now. Stuff happens, things get complicated, and so on and so forth.**

**Hera sama: My opinion of the 'typical' Pertemis is that she hates him until he turns out to be the perfect man and blah blah blah. Nah, Percy is a bad boy in this ;)**

**rider-84: That's an awesome idea. Would that be called Dantlia or Thaliante? XD**

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The three Guardians walked with Artemis into her tent and once inside they saw a table that had multiple maps on it, one overlaid that of a modern map of New York. It would appear that she was hunting something really big. "Big game hunting?" Percy asked, moving a gloved hand over a small handmade map that seemed to mark the location of a den of some kind. The cousins were all looking and studying different things. Taz seemed the most interested in an old manuscript that located an ancient dragon. "Yes. Dragons." Artemis answered seriously. All three boys immediately had widened eyes. They then all shared a look of confusion and glanced between one another. "I thought Peleus was the last of his kind." Taz offered up, not really talking to anyone in particular but just stating the fact.

"He's not, we're tracking down the dragons because they have risen from solitude and attacked mortals. This cannot be allowed to happen. If the dragons are organising themselves, it can only be bad news for all of us." Artemis told them. Dante began to pace around before he spoke again. It seemed that they had already decided that they were helping the hunters track the dragons and now they were just formulating battle strategies. Artemis stood and folded her arms across her chest, just watching the cousins go at it. None of them paid any attention to her.

"If it's dragon then we're going to have a battle in the sky." Taz told them both. Percy and Dante considered this. "Mobility will be key." Percy looked from cousin to cousin. Dante stooped pacing and considered this, stroking his chin as he did so. "_I…_ need some transportation." He said humbly before Artemis whistled loudly getting their attention.

"Transportation for what?" She asked him in confusion. She wasn't surprised that they'd been distant from everyone for a year, they had their own way of doing things and it surely worked for them when they weren't playing Ro Sham Bo for who got to brag about the toughest kill, but to work with other groups, they really had to get better with their group discussions.

Taz snorted slightly as his wings extended. "If we're going to fight dragons, then Dante needs a way to maintain altitude." Taz told her. She took this into account before staring at Percy. "He doesn't have wings either." She pointed out as if this was the most obvious flaw to their statement. Without looking away from her eyes, Percy whistled lightly. A moment later the hunters were all making noises of amazement outside Artemis' tent. A pure black Pegasus strode proudly through Artemis' tent and nestled its head against Percy's armour clad shoulder. Percy tilted his head slightly and frowned. "Now is _not_ the time for that. Plus she might kill you." Percy seemingly spoke to himself but Artemis quickly reminded herself that Poseidon had power of horses as well, and naturally Percy would have inherited such powers. "Well he's not a man, so obviously I will hear his request." Artemis told the water god Guardian. Percy thought about it for a moment before shaking his head, "No, you'll definitely kill him. Moving on. I have Blackjack, Taz has wings himself. How do we get Dante in the air? I can guarantee that if you can get all three of us in the air with a dragon, that we can kill it." Percy grinned, a challenging look in his eyes. Artemis had to do a double take when she noticed that Percy's determined look was also present. She couldn't help but smile at the certainty that these cousins had.

"Or if you get me in the air with Blackjack I can enter the eye of the storm so to speak." Dante offered his suggestion but that was insanity at its core. Artemis realised what he wanted to do but forced herself not to speak up against it, these Guardians knew how to do their job and she didn't want to throw a stick between them because of the fact that she would treat them how she would treat her hunters.

"You want to ride the dragon?" Taz asked him with a wondrous look playing across his face as he contemplated whether or not it was even possible. He quickly decided that it wasn't. Shaking his head he was forced to disagree with his cousin, "Not possible, the dragon would be too strong for you to hold on to and you'd be very lucky to get those daggers deep enough to even damage it some. Plus what if you'd fallen? We might not be fast enough to stop you from turning into an ichor stain." Taz told him, instantly throwing that conclusion out of the window.

"Ok so maybe it would be impossible, but what if you two can ground the dragon then with the help of the hunters, I can finish it off?" Dante said excitedly. It seemed that in his mind he knew that he was killing a dragon pretty soon. Artemis whistled and her first lieutenant entered the tent. Thalia Grace. A sister to both Taz and Artemis. Dante felt a little bit overwhelmed with so many children of Zeus in one place. "Sister I need your input." Artemis quickly explained the Guardian's plan. Percy was quietly leaning against Blackjack almost dozing off. Because of his ADHD he found that he had to leave the strategizing down to his cousins. Dante, Taz, Artemis and a daughter of Athena had all been formulating a plan to get the dragon on the ground once they had roused it from its sleep inside its mountainside burrow.


	6. The Calm Down

**Chapter 6 - The Calm Down**

Percy closed his eyes for one second and the next thing he knew, Blackjack was talking to him.

_Lady Artemis is standing right next to you by the way… And apparently she can talk to Pegasi as well._

Percy's eyes snapped open and sure enough standing right next to him, patting the horse on the head, stood the eternal goddess herself. He managed to fake a small smile as he pretended that he hadn't fallen asleep. It didn't really give off the best impression of eternal Guardians. "You know, if you only ask, then we can provide you three with a place to rest. Whether your fight with the monsters was easy or not, a fight is a fight and will always fatigue a person." Artemis reasoned with him. He didn't know why she had taken such an interest in him but he assumed that it was nothing more than godly interest as to how much potential a person had.

"Lady Artemis, might I be so bold as to query something?" He asked her respectfully, never lowering his amazing gaze that he gave off. Artemis looked at the man he was compared to the boy he used to be. Back when she first me him he was hopeless when talking to anyone that wasn't his mother, and now he had that bad boy attitude that did it for almost every woman he met. Aphrodite had been after him and his cousins for years now and they'd all declined her for their own personal reasons. Percy had no interest in become infatuated with the goddess of lust. Taz had his eyes set firmly on a certain daughter of Aries that he'd been caught with multiple times, and Dante simply denied her for bragging rights. Artemis couldn't help but admit that Dante was a very peculiar individual. He would defy the lords and ladies of a court anything that he didn't want to do despite the obvious consequences. She smiled at the thought of the many rumours surrounding the Guardians, most of them were started by younger demi-gods but were entertaining none the less. Percy was the calm Guardian of the seas, the peacekeeper that often kept his cousins in line. Tazman, the Angelic Guardian of the skies, the one who brought swift justice to monsters and abusive step parents out there everywhere. Then there was Dante; the cocky Guardian of the land, the one who couldn't help being a ladies man.

Artemis sighed heavily. "Of course?" She willed him to ask his piece and be out with it already. She tried to read his mind when he was asking her, but like she'd done with Dante almost a full year previously, she had been blocked by Percy's mental willpower. Percy stopped his questions to purposely poke fun at the goddess. "Looking for something specific?" Percy flashed his bad boy grin that told Artemis that he was at an advantage, knowing full well that she couldn't read his thoughts anymore.

"You seem to have taken a fair interest in me. Why? I am of no particular importance in any regard. And of course there is nothing beyond curiosity in it because you're a maiden goddess." Percy explained, all the while maintaining his curious look. Artemis looked into his sea green eyes and finally he looked away, her silver eyes remaining to be too intense for him to handle for too long. "I am unsure. You are all different from each other and yet remain to be unique even within your little unit. I wish to find out what makes you so special." She made sure that he knew her words were meant in a good natured spirit. Percy nodded, he could tell that she wasn't being entirely truthful but he wasn't about to argue with a goddess over her own words. Dante sighed for an amazingly long time making everyone in the room stare at him. "Can we not just get Hephaestus to coat some bullets in celestial bronze and let us shoot the bloody thing?" He asked, clearly despising any written work that he'd already been forced to do. The sun was setting heavily and the boys hadn't eaten in quite some time. They didn't need sustenance, but it was a good morale booster.

Artemis shook her head with a sigh, "No, bullets won't have a deep enough impact, we need to get a sword through it." She told them. At that moment, Taz held up his great sword with a single hand and with incredible ease. The sword was about as big as Artemis herself which made her question exactly how strong these Guardians were. Artemis decided that she would set up a tent for the Guardians and they could continue strategizing their plans tomorrow. "Let's come back to this in the morning, we can hunt for the time being." She told them as they all filed out of the tent, gaining looks from the hunters. Percy nodded to Blackjack who took off with grace and left to go back to camp half-blood. He would call for him if he needed him tomorrow.

The Guardians all went straight over to a small bench and sat down while Artemis explained the situation to them. Most of the hunters weren't happy but they all accepted this though because of the fact that the Guardians were practically gods. Dante pulled open a small compartment in his armour and pulled an IPod out of his pocket along with some headphones. He sat absent minded, with his arms resting over his head. Artemis reckoned that the Guardians must have gotten used to wearing this much armour for long periods of time. Taz was sat leaning forwards so that he didn't damage his wings. He was about to say something to Dante but realised that he wouldn't have heard and probably wouldn't have cared either, so he instead looked over to Percy. "If we are to stay here the night and have some time before the hunt begins, I would like to make a quick visit to camp half-blood." Taz told him. It was kind of a question but kind of not. Percy nodded at him with a smile, "Of course. Give Clarisse my greeting." He smirked at Taz with his best shit eating grin. Taz nodded nonchalantly before standing up and stretching, he walked a few meters away from the bench then disappeared in a flash of lightning. This got a few rogue looks from the hunters that were wandering around not doing much.

Dante had noticed the lightning and questioned Percy about it. "What I miss?" He took out his head phones and put them back into his compact leg compartment. Instead he now took out one of his twin blades and twirled it around with skill. He liked to play with his knives in his down time. He spun it in his gloved hands before contemplating challenging one of the hunters to a true shot contest.

"He's gone to camp for a while. No doubt to see Clarisse." Percy explained casually, not paying much attention to anything around them. Percy had managed to learn patience during the year that the Guardians had trained themselves, but there was only so much and eventually his ADHD would get the better of him. He decided to stand and stretch his body before pacing slightly and deciding what he should do. "She's going to kick his ass for not being around for a year." Dante chuckled, holstering his knife. "_I…_" He exaggerated the point, "Am going to go and challenge some hunters. What are you going to do?" Dante asked Percy who was looking around with a frown until he'd finally sensed what he was looking for, a small lake lay near the basin of the forested hill that they were on, it would do nicely for a swim. "I've just found a lake. I'll see you later." Percy grinned as he quickly evaporated and rematerialized at the lake. This time without his heavy armour and just half of the base layer that the Guardians had, it made for an excellent swimming material. He flexed his torso and arms, revealing the many muscles that glistened underneath his pale skin. Since training he really had become insanely toned.


	7. Phoebe VS Dante

**Chapter 7 - Phoebe VS Dante**

Dante didn't see Artemis anywhere but he wasn't going to do anything bad, he just wanted to find a challenge. He quickly found himself face to face with Phoebe, she would surely jump at the chance to make him look bad. "You." She said with incredible malice. Dante made sure to look around him to exaggerate the point, "Me?" He asked her. He loved winding her up already. "What are you doing here? We do not need help from _men."_ She spat, eyes narrowed towards him. Since planning their attack on the dragon, the Guardian's had magically disconnected their helmets from their suits. It was impressive the kind of power they now had in their hands.

"Well when you're fighting dragons and you're cursing that you can't ground them, just think how handy it would be to have Guardians that can take the fight to them." Dante retorted before considering Phoebe as a challenge, "I bet fifty drachma that I can best you in a throwing knife contest." Dante said immediately before Phoebe could respond to his previous comment. She considered it for a moment before a small grin spread across her face, "Oh bring it on Guardian." She smirked as the other hunters gathered round. Thalia walked over with a tiny target and pinned it to a tree twenty feet away from them.

"Just to make it a fair contest, you will both use the same throwing knives at the same time. So Dante you give Phoebe one of yours and vice versa." Thalia told them. Dante grudgingly permitted one of his throwing knives to his contender and accepted one of her own. They three the silver hunter's knife firsts. They both hit the target dead on. The target was moved back ten feet and the knives returned. Next they threw the Guardian's knife. The contest kept going until they were throwing at a target fifty feet away. It was now a question of who could pull off the fanciest throw. Phoebe did a flip and used her momentum to launch the knife with expert efficiency. It thudded right into the tree. "Ah… shit." Dante cursed plainly, not bothering to filter his words. Whilst the hunters were mostly immortal teenagers, they were all actually much older than him. "What's wrong Guardian, seeing defeat?" Phoebe teased him. Just from her tone, he had decided to step his game up in a make or break trick shot. It was her tone, so teasing and yet it made him so sure of himself. He definitely liked this huntress enough to show her up. "No I just got caught up admiring your beauty." He smirked at her, making it known exactly how he was, she scowled at him heavily. He walked over to Thalia and pointed to a small sash that wrapped around the bottom end of the spear that she carried. She hesitated slightly but pulled it free from her weapon and gave it to the Guardian.

Dante centered himself and looked for a few seconds at the target before tying the sash around his eyes. He was blinded and he'd only know from the sounds of the huntress's reactions whether or not he'd made the shot. He purposely tilted his head over to where he knew Phoebe was standing before readying his knife and spinning his body for the momentum to make the shot. He heard a thud in the distance before a few gasps were heard. Grinning, he couldn't help but feel like the most talented marksman there. He knew for a fact that it was a fluke however. Lifting the sash he turned to see Phoebe giving him a death glare potent enough to topple Kronos. He smiled and extended his hand though, "I'd say that makes it a tie." He said without a trace of sarcasm. This caught her off guard and she accepted the hand shake with a confused expression playing on her face. "When do we hunt? I'm hungry." Dante turned to Thalia who rolled her eyes at the Guardian.

"You can't be hungry, you're immortal." She told him slowly. He considered this for a moment before turning back to her, "No, yeah I'm definitely hungry, let's go." He said extending his hand for her. She shook her head and pushed Dante forwards roughly, but he simply smirked at her. Before he reached up to his shoulder and pulled what looked like a piece of his armour out, it was a long strip of the white armour except he shook it and it turned into a death black bow with shadows for strings.

"Where in Hades did you get that?" Thalia asked him in shock. Dante examined the bow briefly before he assumed a hunting position. They were stalking through the woods looking for pretty much anything. "It was a gift from Nico." He answered her before standing up straight.

"What is it?" Thalia asked him, drawing the string on her silver bow, ready for any attack. He frowned before grunting for a brief moment, "There aren't any monsters left around here. We Guardians can sense monsters. But I do know for a fact that there's a group of Giants causing havoc in Athens. Hmm, I should probably take care of that. You coming along?" Dante looked at her as he turned around. He shook the bow once more and it straightened out into a piece of his white armour once again. Once it was fitted in he waited for her response. "You'd have to ask Lady Artemis first and I don't know where she disappeared to." Thalia shrugged helplessly. Dante snorted briefly, "I can guess." He said as he closed his eyes and focused. A minute later he turned to her, Artemis said yes. We need to stop off at camp Half-blood first. That's where Taz is. Percy is unavailable at the moment." Dante explained to her. Thalia smiled quickly. She'd get to fight giants alongside the Guardians. Dante put two fingers to his temples and focus, a second later the ground opened up and stairs led down to a very bright red rocky hallway. They walked in and immediately found another set of stairs. Once they were out, Thalia noticed that they were in camp half-blood. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.


	8. Reunited

**Chapter 8 - Reunited**

Percy lay at the bottom of the lake his eyes only fluttering open on occasion. He was at peace with himself when he was completely surrounded by water. He felt a slight disturbance in the water and shifted his body slightly. He was a bit disbelieving in what he saw. Artemis had her finger in the water and was making circles. There was no dobut in his mind that she knew he was here and calling him over to her. What was her deal? For a goddess that was upholding an oath to forgo the company of men, she was pretty damn interested in him. He decided to play along for now. He slowly willed the water to push is body towards the shore line where Artemis had recently pulled her hand out of the water. He rose up rather dramatically and let the water flow down his muscled body structure. He gave her a strange look as she managed a small smile out of the corner of her lips. He walked over to her until he was no more than waist deep out of the water. "Aren't you going to come out completely?" She frowned. He tilted his head trying to analyse the goddess before him.

"What is it that you truly want with me?" He asked her. In truth she did not know the extent of what she wanted from him, she knew for a fact that she couldn't get him off of her mind and that was an especially impressive feat considering that she was the maiden goddess of virginity and hadn't wanted any men in her life since she made her oaths. "Truly? I do not know. You intrigue me and as of yet I cannot understand why. You are but a man, an immortal Guardian and still so much more different than others. You are the typical bad boy that women lust over but that is not it. You are a different man underneath this shield that you put up. I'm interested in him." She levelled with him. He considered this lightly before brushing it off and quipping at her. "Bad boy huh?" He raised an eyebrow. She blushed ever so slightly before opening her mouth to say something. Percy held up his hand to stop her and tilted his head, after a few seconds he turned back to her. "Something has arisen. Dante would like you permission to take Thalia with him to hunt down some Giants in Athens." He told her. Artemis didn't even hesitate, she agreed to let Thalia go with the Guardian, and after all they were both hunting monsters as a primary duty. Percy turned his head and closed his eyes once more before turning back to her.

"How much power do you Guardians poses?" She asked him, seemingly out of the blue. It was a solid question, they were just below major gods in the variety of their powers. "We each have different powers." He responded as he played around with some of the water he had around his hands. He formed riptide out of water in each of his hands and condensed the water time and time again until the rippling forms of riptide in each of his hands emulated the weight of his real blade. He absently started to swing them around as he prepared himself to answer Artemis' questions that she had no doubt been saving up for him.

"We all have the ability to speak into each other's minds. We can only do that between Guardians however. Taz has a natural prowess for leadership and while we are all equal, his word is often final and he will also often lead us. Plus, it just looks cooler because he has wings." Percy smashed one of the swords down in an arch that sent a moderate wave out into the shoreline.

"So he has power over decision making?" Artemis questioned him. She never expected the Guardians to be as complex as Percy was making it sound. He nodded briefly as he turned back towards her. "It has to be a unanimous decision though. We also have the shared power to make someone a Guardian. It requires all three of us to turn someone into an immortal Guardian though." Percy let the water dissipate back into the lake. Artemis stared wide eyed at him. Through the three of them, they could create more Guardians? Percy continued to expand upon that though, "They will also receive the blessing of the Guardians. If we were to ever create more Guardians, we would be their hierarchy, and only we would have the power to do as much as we can. It would be very much like a male version of the hunters." Percy explained before he frowned for a moment, "Except for the fact that if we found someone worthy of becoming a Guardian, their gender would not matter." He stopped and began to rise until he was standing on the surface of the water. "Any more questions?"

Artemis thought about it before shaking her head, "I'll let you answer them as of when I get them instead of piling it all onto you today. I'm needed back at the encampment, I'll see you up there." She smiled before she disappeared in a flash of silver and white. When she left there was a small trace of silver and white dust. Percy laughed at the typicality of it before evaporating. Artemis turned when she smelt a salty sea breeze and there he stood with all of his armour back on and not a trace of water except for that which flowed freely around his armour.

* * *

Taz's lightning bolt hit the ground firmly, leaving him standing in the middle of the campers who were having their lunch around the many tables. It seemed like it was so long ago that he was here, eating with them, but it had only been a year since he had fought alongside each and every one of them for the battle of Olympus, and now he stood there unrecognisable in his white power armour. Many of the campers had taken up arms against the unknown presence. Chiron was over by his alchemical table and merely laughed at the campers. He of course knew of the Guardians, but the campers weren't. It was Clarisse that had taken it upon herself to determine whether or not the new arrival was friend or foe. Taz let his wings extend themselves fully. "Ah, that feels better." He groaned with bliss as if he had just cracked his neck or back. Clarisse was right next to him with her bow pointed at his faceplate and an arrow notched but threatening to crack straight into his skull. He slowly put his hand up to his face before taking the mask off completely and revealing his wavy blond hair and incredibly handsome face. She lowered her bow for a second but raised it once more with a more murderous look adorning her face, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" She shouted at him, throwing her weapons to the side before running into his arms. She smashed her lips into his, passionately kissing him. The campers were in uproar, all cheering for the Guardian in the centre of their camp, making out with the infamous daughter of Aries.

"Performing my duties like a good little Guardian." He answered her. Her face told him that she was hurt that he hadn't showed himself for the past year. At the very least she knew that it wasn't just him, all of the Guardians had been gone, but his disappearance had hurt her more than anything. The first thing she noticed was that the wings had a mind of their own. "Care to explain?" She asked him, finally changing her expression from hurt and angry. "A gift from my father."

"And the armour?"

"A gift from Hephaestus."

"And the sudden absence?" Her face turned murderous once more, as if daring him to say something wise. He grinned quickly before it disappeared. "Believe it or not, a gift from your father. He personally trained us for a year. Each and every day he would shoot at me. Me more than the others because one day I made it painfully obvious about us." He smirked at the memories. It was more than worth it to Taz. Dante didn't find it particularly funny, especially when he got an arrow to the buttocks, causing a great deal of golden ichor to flow.

"MY- We're going to have words. Take me to Olympus right now, I'll be having a serious discussion with him." She had a face made of hardened steel. Most of the campers were now watching from their tables as opposed to right next to them with weapons drawn. Before Taz could respond, the ground shook and opened up, revealing Dante in similar armour to Taz, except he had no wings and a different colour trim to it. With him was Thalia, an immortal huntress.

"Hey, cous. We've got business to attend to. I know you felt it. Let's go. Hey Clarisse, good to see you, kind of, you coming along?" He asked her, all the while making fun of her, like he used to do in camp so many times. Taz sighed heavily, expecting an argument to arise, instead Chiron came over. "You should go. I know you'll be safe with two Guardians. Speaking of, where's Percy?" Chrion asked, looking at the unit and noticing his favourite demi-god missing. "Oh yeah, he's busy." Dante said quickly. Taz raised his eyebrow and Dante reached out to his mind 'I'll tell you later'. Taz sighed once more. Being a daughter of Zeus you should probably travel with Taz on this one." Dante reasoned. Taz nodded in agreement. The two children of Zeus vanished in a lightning bolt. Dante smiled as he locked on to his cousin's location and a set of stairs opened up from the ground. He turned to Clarisse, "Shall we?" He walked down before waiting for her response.

* * *

**So yeah, this was fun to write. Taz has been coupled, and at this point it's fairly obvious that whatever my story says in regards to the original universe, I've clearly changed. So yeah, have fun with that. As always, please review the chapters, it helps me out so much, and gives me the motivation to continue writing.**


	9. Athens

**Chapter 9 - Athens**

Percy disappeared without saying much and blinked his eyes open a few times. He was standing on Olympus, very near the throne room. He decided that after everything was said and done, that he should console with his best friend. It wasn't hard to find Annabeth, not after knowing her for so long. He quickly locked eyes with her stormy grey orbs that were looking around so analytically at the architecture of each and every building on Olympus, thinking about the many ways she could improve upon the designs. She withdrew to her human form the minute that she saw Percy in his white godly armour. She hadn't seen nor heard from any of the Guardians for so long.

"Hello wise girl." He greeted the goddess with a huge hug. The time may have passed but she was still his favourite god and his best friend. "What brings you to Olympus seaweed brain?" She quickly backed away, as if she'd walked into a trap, "And where' is Dante and Taz?" She looked around critically. Dante had a long history for pulling pranks of Annabeth and Clarisse. Taz would usually join in when he could be bothered. "I stand alone. I needed some advice." He told her. Annabeth's storm grey eyes widened briefly before she pulled him along. Annabeth had her own palace on Olympus, though most of the time she liked to be in the presence of her mother. To Percy's surprise, they hadn't run into any other gods when they were walking through the streets. Once they were safely away from prying eyes and ears Percy decided to open about what had been bothering him. After he'd heard whatever Annabeth had to say to him, he would no doubt join his cousins in Athens to fight the giants.

"As Guardians, we heard the call, we came as soon as we could. It was Artemis' hunters, they had been ambushed by three greater monsters. Someone was sure to have been injured or killed. We came to make sure that didn't happen. _We_ fought them off with ease, but then as we headed back into Artemis' strategy tent things began to get a bit… Strange. We're joining them on their hunt for the dragons that have been attacking mortals, but it seems that Artemis has taken somewhat of an 'interest' in me." Percy explained. With each passing moment Annabeth's expressions would change to something new, finally resting on shock. Artemis, the maiden goddess had found something interesting in a man. She was thinking mortal man but Percy was anything but mortal now.

"I truly have no idea what to say to that. I really wish that I could help you beyond the obvious parts." She said, still stunned into a small silence. Percy tilted his head before grinning, "You're forgetting that it's _me_ we're talking about here, I can't work out obvious stuff, wise girl." He smirked at her before receiving a grin back from her as Annabeth explained as best she could, "Well, it's pretty obvious that Artemis is seeing you beyond a man now, she's seeing you for what you are underneath, and as much as I don't want to admit it for fear of your ego getting as big as Mount Olympus itself, everything about you is attractive Perseus." Percy knew that she was telling the truth because of the fact that she'd used his real name as opposed to seaweed brain. Annabeth laughed about that for a moment, "Hah, not even the goddess of virginity can resist your bad boy attitude." Annabeth smiled funnily at him for a moment. Percy frowned, that's the second woman to have mentioned him and bad boy in the same sentence. He would have questioned her about it but let it slide because in the end he wouldn't care anyway. "Wait, so that means that you find me attractive? Not so wise girl." Percy had to quickly dodge a glare of death. "Don't push it Jackson." Annabeth thundered but in a jokey sense. Percy smiled before hugging her once more and promptly disappearing.

* * *

"With the help of Father Time!" Dante sang the whole way through the tunnel. Clarisse sighed heavily. It was good to see that he hadn't changed much in the past few years though. It was as if the gods had bestowed immense immortal powers on a man child. She knew that wasn't true though as when he managed to focus on something, he was one of the best people for this job role that he had landed himself. The Tunnel opened up and they stepped out onto Greek soil. "Where are we?" Clarisse asked him, looking around. For a daughter of a Greek god, she wasn't doing so well with her geographical placements.

"Troy. We're very close to the giants. I don't know how in Hades a unit of Hyperborean giants managed to come this far south, but they're fucking shit up pretty badly and making a ruin of these… Well, ruins." Dante smiled at his own little analogy before returning to his serious stare. It seemed that he'd arrived somewhat later than his cousin as there was already signs of battle. I.E, there was a smouldering set of giants armour on the ground, surrounded by dust. A muffled sound to their left alerted Dante that he had to be on his guard. A split second later his facemask materialize out of nothing and many of the plates on his armour seemed to lock into place. Before she could ask, he roughly pushed her back before avoiding a huge sword that came crashing through a stone wall. Out of the debris, a Hyperborean giant emerged, bloodthirsty and looking at potential prey.

The giant's blade was inches from Dante's body when it came down. Clarisse only then seemed to notice that he had his foot on the blade, effectively sticking it in the ground. The giant tried to dislodge it but failed remarkably. Grunted in frustration, it left its weapon and went to punch Dante but he caught both fists inside his own. Clarisse didn't wait around for Dante to be the only hero, she pulled up one of her knives and threw it straight at the giant's ugly head. It lodged itself nicely in place. Clarisse ran and Dante felt a sudden weight on his shoulders before he noticed that Clarisse had used him as a springboard. She slammed her other dagger into the giant's head making it turn to dust. She managed to grab both of her daggers before she landed on her feet. They were holstered by the time she had stood up straight again.

"_You…_ Are an incredibly skilled warrior." He admitted. She couldn't believe he had just said that and was in just as much shock as he was. "I know, that's why I'm in love with her." A voice from above called down to them. They were greeted to the sight of Taz gliding towards them. Thalia was holding onto him with no fear present as Taz flapped his wings gracefully and landed softly on the ground next to them. Thalia seemed to love the flight that her older brother had but she was also thankful to be back on the ground. "We should speak to Percy about extending the Guardian corpse." Dante told his cousin, already seeming to call their little unit a military unit. In other circumstances that would have been frowned upon, but most of their job was hunting down dangerous monsters and keeping demi-gods safe, so Dante was the closest to finding a name with a justified application to it.

Taz raised an eyebrow at his cousin, as if questioning his judgement on the matter. "What? You know as well as I do that we need a few more Guardians. Three is no reason that we shouldn't increase our numbers. Besides, you would be making your love immortal. You would be beside her side for eternity." Dante's words were coated with silver. His tongue was slowly seducing Taz's more temperamental side and slowly changing his point of view. There was however a slight risk to introducing more Guardians to their ranks. The power was enough to send lesser men and women insane. Dante had no doubts about Clarisse being strong enough to become a Guardian however.

"So bird brain. You have eyes in the sky, what's the situation look like?" Dante changed the topic. They needed to get back to the problem at hand and they were all itching for more combat. "It's not good. There's seven or eight giants all huddled around what looks like a hole in the ground. Could be an emergence hole. There's only one way to find out." Just as Taz was finishing explaining his recon they heard a thunderous voice call out to them. "Ahh. Son of Hades. I'll kill you first, a sign to your father." The voice held malice of only the highest regard. Dante turned towards his adversary and sighed heavily at the gigantes. "Today Alcyoneus, tomorrow a dragon." Dante sighed before walking towards the giant. Taz grimaced at the fifty foot tall super giant. Alcyoneus was specifically created to destroy Hades. Could it have been mere coincidence that a gigantes was leading giants into Greek soil? Taz doubted it but kept his thoughts unvoiced for the moment. If anyone was to take on this giant, it was Dante, by birth right if nothing else, but Taz was also weary because of the fact that much of Alcyoneus' power would also directly affect Dante.

"You are not even a worthy adversary for me to waste my time with." The giant scoffed before lifting his foot to try and crush Dante. Dante stood with his arms crossed until the giant's foot was physically above him. He slowly unfolded his arms and seemingly braced against the impact of the foot. "You're about to witness the power of the Guardians. Granted, Dante is possibly the strongest of us, but the gap in our power is minute." Taz explained to the two women. He felt a small shift in the air, the tiniest vibration that told him a new presence was near. It was the seabreeze that alerted him to it next. Up on a rocky outlet near then, stood Percy in his Guardian armour, watching intently. Alcyoneus' foot crunched grittily against the ground, moving from side to side to ensure that he'd decimated his enemy. The girls gasped. There was no way that Dante could have survived that. Alcyoneus laughed heartily before turning his attention back to his foot. Slowly but surely the Guardian pushed back, lifting the giant from his very footing before throwing him back. It tripped the monster and a moment later Dante's aura grew wildly. Percy, from the rock, followed suit and a moment later Taz stepped forwards. The girls could see A very clear lightning bolt emblem come alive on his chest plate. Percy rematerialized right next to Taz and the girls noticed that Percy too had a similar mark, this time a bright blue trident had appeared on his. They had no doubt that Dante would have a similar mark. As if in synchronisation, all three cousins three up similar looking weapons that all impaled the giant in the face at the exact same spot. There was a huge watery trident, a bright white thunderbolt, and a fiery pitchfork all embedded in the giant. The ethereal weapons faded just as the giant crumbled into dust. Dante shadow travelled the very small distance back to his peers.


	10. Battle Antics

**Chapter 10 - Battle Antics**

"Well, if all else fails, we can just use the Triam against the dragons." Dante laughed uneasily. It clearly took a lot out of them to pull of that move. They all agreed that it was necessary against such a powerful enemy however. Clarisse moved a little bit. Unnerved by the word 'Triam'. "What's the Triam?" She asked, with a bit of an edge to her voice. Precy was the one to explain it to her. "The Triam is actually just an idea that Hephaestus came up with. He concluded that if he was to create a weapon more powerful that Zeus' master bolt that it would have to be compromised from a combination of Zeus' bolt, Poseidon's trident, and Hades' pitchfork. It was to be called the Triam. An ultimate weapon. We decided to take the inspiration and it's the name of our ultimate attack." Percy explained. It made sense to them, it wasn't even overly complicated. A sudden thunder rumbled but it felt like it was underground. "Hey you guys feel that?" Taz asked rather stupidly. It was obvious that they all felt it. Taz decided that the source of the ground shaking was coming from the hole that the giants were all seemingly guarding.

"Last one over there has to polish my armour- Oh Hades dammit!" Dante shouted. The two cousins had gotten used to Dante saying things like this and had both teleported before he could finish his bet. Sighing he shadow travelled over to the shadow of one of the giants. Clarisse and Thalia were left watching in awe at the trio fight the giants with such grace. "Do you think they're just showing off now?" Thalia asked her, looking a bit disappointed that they didn't seem to need her help. She quickly decided that they were getting help whether they wanted it or now. She held her spear high and a second later a lethal bolt of lightning turned one of the giants into dust. The two women stormed towards the battle field. Before they got very far, Taz appeared in front of them and grabbed them by the shoulders before going back to the fight at hand. He wasn't about to exclude them from the fight and they'd spend most of that time just getting there. They gave their thanks before getting back to the challenge at hand. More giants were piling out of the hole. Taz decided that they needed to do something about that.

"Hey guys, someone has to go down there. I volunteer, I have wings and can easily come back out." He told them, between decapitating a giant. "Oh no way dude, Ro Sham Bo!" Dante shouted furiously as he cut the arms from a giant and drop kicked the almost limbless body back through the emergence hole. Clarisse and Thalia continued to kill some small giants while the Guardians played rock paper scissors. Again, for the second time that the cousins had done this, Dante had won. He shouted his victory cry before deciding to crack a few jokes to lighten the sudden downed mood. "If I'm not back for dinner, feed it to Mrs O' Leary." He smirked before noticing the visibly uncertain look that Thalia was giving him. She sure as Hades didn't want him to jump down a hole that would most likely lead to Tartarus. "I'll be fine." He told them, but it was aimed at Thalia. She nodded at him before he let himself fall backwards down the hole. He wasn't certain of where it would lead but if it was going anywhere of importance, he was confident that he was about to end up stuck in the depths of Tartarus. He sighed, but he knew for a fact that except for the Angelic wings, he was better suited to surviving Tartarus than his cousins.

When Dante was clearly out of sight, Percy turned to Taz. "I've got eighty drachma that says this leads straight to Tartarus." He said without any trace of sarcasm. Taz looked back down the hole for a moment before he responded. "You're on." He fist bumped Percy, effectively sealing the deal.

* * *

The giants had stopped coming for now and the Guardians saw no point in waiting for Dante to re-emerge. It was fruitless, and they would know instantly the moment that he was in danger. "Our best plan of action is to go back to Artemis' camp and await word of-" Percy couldn't finish, a rocky stair case opened up in the ground, and out stepped a slightly ichor covered Dante. They all sent him questioning looks. "Who had Tartarus?" Dante asked seriously, looking tired. Percy fist pumped the air in victory while Taz sighed. "No more giants coming up from there. I had to climb out until I could form some stairs in the side of the wall. Next time you CAN go down there instead of me." Dante chuckled lightly before he sat down and rested his tired muscles. There had been nothing down there except a few more giants awaiting the chance of freedom. "I'm going to take a nap now. Wake me when we're… Somewhere other than Greece." Dante mumbled before flattening himself against the sandy floor of the ruins of Troy. He began to snore and Clarisse couldn't help but laugh at him. "Ro Sham Bo?" Percy asked, looking at his cousin. They both nodded. The difficulty with teleporting another Guardian was that sometimes things went wrong. When Taz done it, Percy had appeared stuck in a tree, and the last time Percy took Dante anywhere, he'd nearly drowned.

Taz lost, therefore he had to take responsibility and teleport Dante back to Artemis' hunter encampment. They all disappeared at once. By now the hunters had become accustomed to the Guardians dropping by. Percy noticed straight away the look that the goddess herself had started giving him from the confines of her personal tent. She quickly looked away when she realized that he'd caught her staring. "Where's Dante?" Thalia asked suddenly when she noticed that he wasn't with them anymore. "Well… Shit." Taz cursed before checking the skies. There in the blazing image of the sun, a small blotched figure was falling to the Earth at terminal velocity. "So do you wanna catch him or shall I?" Percy asked his cousin. Taz shrugged briefly before he extended his wings and rose up to meet his heavy cousin. A few moments later and Dante had been safely laid out of the ground. Artemis herself had come out to investigate what had happened. She just pointed to the body on the floor and gave each of the Guardians a questioning look. The both responded with an honest to Zeus innocent shrug. "Little brother." Artemis glared at Taz who refused to crack. Thalia sighed briefly before answering for them.

"There was some kind of hole in Athens that kept throwing out giants and the odd gigantes. We had to figure out where the hole led and how to stop the giants from coming out. Obviously they played rock paper scissors for the privilege of jumping down it. It was Tartarus. Dante did his thing and literally just climbed up and out of there. He's pretty fatigued, so he passed out." Thalia filled her godly sister in on the details that her idiot brother and Percy found it so humorous to not do. "You shouldn't have answered her. She gets hilariously angry." Percy chimed in, shooting the goddess his trademark bad boy grin and looking directly into her silvery eyes with his own sea green orbs. She looked away and he could have sworn that he saw a slight blush. If Annabeth was right and Artemis really did have something beyond curiosity for Percy then he was going to push it and make it real hard for her. "What a jackass." Artemis said plainly before walking back into her tent. Thalia followed so that she could fully brief her mistress on their misadventures in Troy.

'Annabeth' Percy tried to reach out to his friend on Olympus. He wasn't actually sure if he could link himself to gods or even get that far with his empathic link, but he assumed that because of how close they were, that she might be able to hear him. Nothing but silence returned to him however, so he decided to try another day. A huntress that neither of the Guardian new, brought over some Ambrosia and nectar so that they could heal Dante a little bit. At least enough to get him back on his own feet. They could have waited for him to sleep it out but they didn't want to play baby sitter that long. Taz nodded before taking Clarisse back to camp Half-Blood. Percy also wanted to go and relay the information of what happened, to Annabeth, because he saw no better person to talk to it about. Once Dante was up, he decided that he too would go with him to Olympus. He used his instant version of teleportation. The ground literally swallowed him whole and spat him out above ground somewhere else, in this case, Olympus. The Guardians split off in different directions. Dante went to go and find Apollo, and Percy went to find Annabeth.

Annabeth had been doing the exact same thing that Percy had found her doing three hours prior. "Do you not have anything better to do?" He asked her, quite seriously. She looked at him quite startled but when she realized that it was him, she kept her godly form instead of shrinking. "I'm immortal. So no, I do not as a matter of fact, have anything better to do than plan the architecture of Olympus itself." She responded back sarcastically. How was he supposed to know that was what she was doing? "Alright wise girl, calm down." He added before he teleported onto the table that she was sitting at. It didn't make much of a difference to her, except for the fact that he nearly trampled over her Ambrosia. He made a mental note to never do that because of how sticky it would be in his boots.

"Anything new happen?" Annabeth asked him absent minded. Percy thought to test her for a moment and just summarised everything as briefly as he could. "Dante defeated Alcyoneus by throwing him off his feet, jumped into Tartarus, defeated more giants, and then climbed out again." Percy told her without any sarcasm present. She stopped writing and immediately looked over to Percy. "He did _what?"_ She questioned, just to make sure that she wasn't hearing things. No one had ever climbed out of Tartarus before, Dante would be the first. But then, when she reviewed that entire sentence in her head, she realised that if anyone was capable of such a thing, it _would_ always have been these Guardians.

"Dante being… Dante." Percy sighed. He was about to say something about Artemis but it seemed that Annabeth was already ahead of her. "I overheard Artemis saying something to Apollo while you were doing you Guardian thing in Greece. She cannot understand why she'd so fascinated by you. Apollo laughed and made fun of his sister for 'falling for the Guardians' because you guys are basically male versions of the hunters." Annabeth smirked, looking up from her work to see Percy's reaction. She wasn't disappointed. He frowned slightly, "Well we haven't exactly dismissed the company of women or men alike, but we more or less hunt monsters in the same regard. Besides, having an interest in someone is completely different to 'falling' for someone." Percy tried to defend himself but didn't get very far with it. He soon gave up and just sighed at his godly best friend. She looked up from her work and gave him a wink before going back to it. He cursed her for being so good to him but such a joker at the same time. He evaporated from the table and into her hair, making it damp and frizzy. She cursed him and threatened to destroy him before laughing about it. He took a quick sip of the nectar that she had on her table before evaporating completely.


	11. Apollo's Blessing

**Chapter 11 - Apollo's Blessing**

Dante found Apollo, the god he was looking for. Apollo seemed to notice that the Guardian was seeking his attention. "My lord." He raised his arm to his chest and kneeled in front of the god in question. "Rise." Was all Apollo said at first, "What brings you to me?" He asked with a warming smile. Dante smiled back before mustering the courage to make a request of the god in front of him. "I come with a request if I might be so bold as to ask it. I cannot take these matters to any mortal." He quickly explained. Apollo waved it off and let him explain. He quickly took human form so that it was a more informal conversation between immortals. "You are the god of art, so I come to you for the request of body art implementation. I could not take these things to a mortal. For should their tiny needles ever pierce my skin they would be greeted with ichor. I would not have enough mist to shield their eyes for such a prolonged amount of time and none would be as skilled as the god of art." Dante reasoned, slowly changing Apollo's view on it round to his own. Soon enough the sun god agreed at a rate of forty drachmas and hour. When they were done, Dante went to stretch and surprisingly felt no pain from it. "Yeah, forgot to mention, there will be no scabbing, no fading and no negative effects. That's how I roll." Apollo winked before he disappeared. Dante admired the black scorpion that ran down to his waistband. He clicked his fingers and his armour instantly formed around his body. He decided that he should return to the hunters to talk about their dragon hunting expedition that they were about to undertake.

* * *

Artemis saw the ground open up out of the corner of her eye. Dante was spat out before it closed up once more. She noticed something different about him though, he was glowing with the blessing of Apollo. She didn't know how he got her stubborn brother's blessing but she was sure to find out.

"How did you do it?" She hammered him down straight away, the moment he entered the strategy tent. "How did I do what?" He asked her, thinking that she was referred to climbing out of Tartarus. "Get my brother's blessing. How did you do it?" She repeated. He looked at her in confusion, the first thing that came to his mind was to check the tattoo. He waved his hand over his midsection and a part of his armour just melted away into dust, revealing his incredible toned, bare stomach. Ride next to his abs was a rocking scorpion tattoo that trailed down with one of the pinchers trailing even further. It was glowing brightly when freed from the armour. "Huh, that's pretty cool. Didn't know that meant getting a god's blessing, I only wanted the tattoo." Dante muttered before waving his hand again just for the armour to reform. Artemis rolled her eyes, ignorant man. She was extremely annoyed that the Guardians had gotten Apollo's blessing over hers just because Dante had wanted a tattoo from the god of art.

"So anyway, how goes the planning for the dragon thing." He asked. She gave him a questioning look, 'dragon thing'? She wondered if he really didn't know the proper terms for these things but decided not to ask, for fear of him ruining his perfect image of being a man child. She enjoyed making jest at him for it. Then she remembered how he'd gone to Apollo first and she got annoyed with him again. Percy evaporated into the tent itself, standing literally right next to Artemis which made her blush slightly. She quickly hid it from sight with her power. The same power that she used to determine all of her godly and human appearances.

Artemis started explaining everything before remembering that Taz wasn't here. She asked if they should wait for him, but Percy and Dante both decided instantly that it didn't matter. They could relay all of the information telepathically with their other Guardian. Dante kept feeding him false information though, as a form of a practical joke. Percy found it semi amusing, Taz didn't.

When they were just about done with making the plan for hunting the dragon, they moved on to each separate aspect of this dragon hunt. They knew what they were up against and they knew the best way to kill it. Taz would be in the air alongside Percy and Blackjack, all trying to ground the beast, and from there, Dante and the hunters would finish it. Bonus points if they could capture and interrogate it before turning it into a golden ash. The Guardians knew that was what Artemis wanted to do.

The Guardians been told about the dragons organising themselves and determined between themselves that there must have been some intelligence telling them what to do. A greater dragon perhaps? They couldn't know until they'd sifted through each of their options. What Dante didn't tell the others was that he had a minor degree of manipulation of fire and explosions. Perhaps it was possible to use that against the dragon should it be able to breathe fire. He hoped that he would be able to test this ability out. The Guardians were to be the bait for this test and as a result they made sure to say their goodbyes to the relevant people. Naturally Taz took a moment to speak to Clarisse. Percy thought he saw him trying to use the empathic link like he had done earlier but it didn't work. Instead he made a quick iris message to camp half-blood. Dante strolled right over to Thalia and started teasing her about how she would have missed him if he'd died in Tartarus. Percy however stayed right next to Artmeis. He was determined to make it as painfully obvious that he was teasing her. After another brief blush she returned a scowl that told him that the game had only just started, and yet so far he was in the lead.

* * *

**So yeah, this one was tedious to write. So let me know what you guys/gals think. As always leave me a review :)**


	12. Dragon Hunters

**Chapter 12 - Dragon Hunters**

The three Guardians slowly walked the rocky path to the mountain. Up in the rocky cliff edges lied an old cave formation. It was here that Artemis had tracked the dragon. "So what information do we have about the monster itself?" Percy asked, offering the only piece of conversation that they'd had the entire trip. Taz was focused on getting up the mountain, and Dante had his earphones in again, sucking on a lollypop he'd bought along the way. He jovially hang behind Percy and Taz, making sure that they weren't ambushed. Taz gave Percy a slight glance before relaying the information that he had. "As far as we know, it's a lesser dragon, maybe even a Wyvern. But Artemis thinks that it can lead us further up the chain, and it's our duty as Guardians to aid her cause." Taz sighed slightly as he felt a slight vibration in the dirt. The two cousins looked back to get Dante's opinion but all they saw was him slip into the ground. Sighing once again, Taz unfurled his wings and took to the skies, bringing Percy with him. He hoped to get up to the cliff edge before Dante somehow managed to get his immortal self-killed. The hunters were right behind then, concealed in the surrounding woodlands.

They all heard a powerhouse Texan scream as fire breached that very same cave that the Guardians were heading towards. Just out of reach from the edges of the fire, they could see Dante gingerly escaping the licking flames. He splayed his hands and they noticed the fire separate around him somewhat. Percy heard Artemis sigh heavily behind them as Dante barrelled down the mountain, protected by his armour. A wingless dragon crawled its way out of the cave. That solved their immediate problem of how to ground the beast, but as a rule, most wyverns were MUCH stronger than their flying counterparts. A claw swiped at Dante who tried to block but was just thrown twenty feet from the force of the blow. He began curse in ancient Greek which received him a glare from Artemis. He quickly apologised for being profane in her presence before getting back to the fight. Percy took on the beast head to head as he uncapped Anaklusmos and swung wildly at the front legs.

Taz fired off arrow after arrow at the same rate that the hunters were, except he was flying in the air. Artemis herself joined Percy by his side with blade in hand. A swipe that would have ripped stone from stone was arching directly towards Artemis. The water from Percy's armour suddenly came to life at his will, causing a shield of water to cover them just as he reached her and strengthened the wall. The claw decimated the protective barrier that Percy had put up, but it had slowed the wyvern enough for him to get Artemis to the ground. She looked up appreciateivly with a huge blush spreading across her face. He noticed this and a second later his battle hardened frown had turning into a grin and he winked at her before willing the water to form a fist and punch the wyvern directly in the face.

Taz put his bow away and instead summoned his gigantic great sword and began to charge it with lightning bolts that continuously struck the tip of the celestial bronze hunk. "Dante, distract it, Percy you must immobilize it!" Taz shouted to his fellow Guardians. Percy evaporated, leaving the wingless dragon utterly confused and shocked. Dante got in front of Artemis who seemed adamant on continuing the fight up close. "I'd suggest spacing yourself my lady." Dante said it with respect but in such a way that made he know that she had no other choice in the matter. He gently swept her aside before turning towards the threat. "Yoo hoo, honey, I'm home!" He shouted out, strafing away from the hunters. The dragon's eyes narrowed, as if realizing that it was being mocked. "Dante, dragons are fiercely intelligent. It realizes you are mocking it. Unwise move Guardian." Artemis told him.

The dragon let out a screech that was closely followed by a stream of brilliant red and orange flames. The heat was intense, but Dante managed to manipulate it to fly straight over his head and out of the way. His powers had increased tenfold over what they used to be. Taz made a mental note to ask him about it later, but otherwise he kept charging the sword. The wyvern had had enough and launched itself forwards. The jaws opened up and nearly closed entirely over Dante. Thalia's heart thumped loudly in her chest when she witnessed the jaws close completely over Dante. It seemed to have swallowed him whole and made a triumphant chuckled that emanated deeply in its throat. Taz looked unphased by this though and she considered shocking her big brother. She couldn't see Percy anywhere until she noticed water vortex's swirling around each leg then quickly turning into solid ice. The dragon's throat lurched forwards and its mouthed slowly began to open as if against the dragon's will. The jaws were being pried open from the inside.

"βάλλ' εἰς κόρακας." Was heard very loudly from the inside of the dragon's mouth before Dante has thrown it open and jumped clear of its snapping jaws. It was just in time for Taz's attack to come through however. The last of the lightning began coursing through his celestial bronze great sword before he nosedived straight to the dragon. His blade was amplified in force as it swung wildly through the dragon's neck. It was turned to dust before the blade was lodged into the ground. The groups all gathered around. Dante opened his mouth to say something sarcastic but after his various curses, Artemis didn't care to hear them. She clicked her fingers and instantly they were all back at her encampment. "So that could have gone better. Thalia. Guardians, in my tent." She promptly dismissed the rest of her hunters who were more than happy with the day's kill. The Guardians begrudgingly followed her back to her planning tent where Dante and Taz were certain that they were about to be torn to shreds, both for different reasons. Percy just walked in with a shit eating grin spread across his face.


	13. Camp Half-Blood

**Chapter 13 - Camp Half-Blood**

"You." Artemis pointed at Dante. He tensed up straight away. A horrible frown threatening to escape him. Instead he just looked dead ahead like he had during his patrol sessions with Ares. "You are to never repeat most of those ancient Greek curses in my presence again, are we clear?" She asked, looking more like a scolding mother than anything else. "Y-Yes ma'am." Dante stuttered ever so slightly but he was finally less tense and let his shoulders flop down to where they would usually hang. Taz snickered slightly and nudged Dante in the sides. "You." She said sharply, pointing at Taz who straightened up like Dante had moments ago. Dante hid his snicker just in case Artemis turned on him again. "You are too trigger happy so to speak. Don't let it happen again, next time I wish to interrogate the monster before we end it." Artemis' scolding was lesser on Taz than it had been on Dante but yet the Guardians felt they'd gotten off lightly considering the fact that they were being told off by a god.

Percy looked at Artemis expectantly, as if daring her to say something to him. She looked away but he noticed a small grin play across her face. She wondered how much they would be able to play their games with each other before they would be forced to acknowledge that there was something going on. Taz had noticed their back and forth looks but had only voiced his observation with Percy and dismissed anything else about it. He loved how typical it was of Percy to manage to get himself in the eyes of a goddess. A maiden goddess no less. The Guardians were permitted to stay the night with the hunters while they figured out their next move. They were unsure of where to go from here as that dragon had been their only real lead.

The night had fallen upon them quickly and each of the Guardians had gone separate ways in terms of finding things to pass the time. Artemis noticed Percy walk over the side of a steep hill. He waved his hand and the water that flowed freely over his armour snaked around his body until was at his feet. He was using the water to surf down the rocky hill and into the lake below them. A very creative use of his powers. Taz had decided to stretch his wings for a few moments. He had no doubt decided to go to camp half-blood to see Clarisse. Artemis was sitting in her chair, silently writing up a new strategy for capturing the dragon as opposed to sending it straight to Tartarus. She'd also have to get the Guardians to agree to it as well. She spied one of the said Guardians talking with her lieutenant. She had noticed that they'd become close over the past few days and she did indeed worry about Thalia breaching a part of her eternal oath. She knew that Dante would never mislead her or hurt her, or even dispel her eternal chastity, but he couldn't stop Thalia from developing feeling for him. It was something that Artemis had noticed about the Guardians almost straight away; was that they had simply too strong personalities for them to be affected by someone else's oaths. It would never have occurred to them that they should tone down their natural behaviours around women who had sworn to void themselves of men for eternity. She couldn't blame the Guardians, and she would never hold it against Thalia in this case.

There had never been Guardians before, and now that there was, it was new and interesting, and as much as Artemis had seen them in battle, their training was rigorous even by godly standards. She was impressed with them by no small amount. She couldn't focus on her plans right now, she had other things on her mind, or other people. She teleported herself into the treeline that surrounded the lake which she knew Percy would be at.

* * *

A lightning bolt alerted the campers that there was a Guardian in their presence. For some reason Mr D was visiting Pollux and was wearing his signature tiger striped Hawaiian shirt. "Dionysus." Taz kneeled at first. "Oh come now Manso-" Dionysus began.

"Mason." Taz corrected him, wishing not to be mistaken for the king of the goths.

"Whatever. There's no need to be so formal. I'd prefer if you could treat me like you would your cousins." Dionysus told him in a rare show of mutual respect. Taz flashed the briefest of smiles before continuing.

"OK then. What brings you to camp? Another affair grounding you for a century?" Taz asked without a singled trace of sarcasm but a grin plastered firmly across his face. Dionysus frowned before muttering that he'd deserved that one. Taz made his brief apology and the recognition that it was nothing more than banterous jest.

Taz found himself standing outside cabin five. He wasn't about to go in there but he had no problems with knocking. It was the father of all cabin five campers who had trained him over the past five years after all. He knocked loudly and nearly scared a girl no more than thirteen who answered the ugly red door.

"Ugh, is Clarisse here?" He asked, unsure of how to treat accidentally scaring someone to death. The girl ran away but was replaced by his girlfriend. She quickly left the cabin and took him by the arm, walking him along the beach. He hadn't even said anything yet but then he guessed that he didn't need to. She knew that he was fighting dragons with the Guardians and the hunters. It must have just been a huge relief to Clarisse to see him alive after that. He was immortal, so 'alive' might not have been the right words, but no deformed into a million grains of golden dust was more appropriate. The Guardians would reform just as slowly as the gods, but they would reform eventually.

"So Dante nearly got eaten, burned alive and thoroughly scolded by Artemis." Taz told her. She frowned a little bit. After everything the Guardians had done recently, Taz had started a conversation by listing off crazy things that Dante had done or things that had been done to him. "He's not the luckiest of you is he?" She asked rhetorically. The walk had started getting dangerously close to the pier and Taz pulled on her arm, letting her know that they needed to go a different way. He didn't feel comfortable that close to the sea. It wasn't his domain and they all knew it. Taz had hated every minute of their quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Dante was more or less OK with it at the time, but as the years went on Taz had found out that Dante had disliked it as much as he did. The son of Hades just hid his emotions better.

"That reminds me. There's a bit of a complication starting to build up between the Guardians and the hunters." Taz had a shit eating grin. Clarisse found a nice patch of grass and pulled her boyfriend down. "Oh yeah?" She looked surprised. She couldn't imagine what. Well, she could imagine what, considering that Dante was included, but the hunters were sworn to be maidens for eternity… So she wasn't certain of what it could be.

"Dante and Thalia seem to be getting very close to each other. And so do Percy and a certain maiden goddess." Taz couldn't help but let out a deep dark laugh that sent a shiver up Clarisse's spine. She sat looking at him in utter shock. A maiden goddess sworn to be void of love had shown an interest in Percy Jackson. Guardian or no immortal Guardian, she still couldn't believe it.


	14. Atlas

**Chapter 14 - Atlas**

"Wait, they're both your sisters. How can you be so… Unproductive of them?" Clarisse asked, almost as shocked as what she'd previously heard. Taz tilted his head for a moment. "Because whilst they're my sisters, they're both sworn to eternal chastity and Percy and Dante are both not only my cousins but my fellow Guardians. Which reminds me. At some point you're going to be offered a choice. We have no presented anyone with what we're offering you." Taz turned to look Clarisse dead in the eyes so that he could check her reaction for positive or negative signs. Her eyes darted up and locked onto his before narrowing slightly. Taz explained that when they had time, they would take her to Olympus and offer her a place within the Guardians and bestow their blessing upon her and make it official. It took all three of them to give someone the Guardian's blessing and turn them immortal but it could be done.

Clarisse didn't know what to say and yet at the same time Taz was certain that she'd take them up on the offer. She was a councillor at the camp but as a daughter of Ares, she yearned for battle. The camp councillor life was never for her. She answered him silently by tackling him to the ground and pressing her lips to his. Offering her a place in the Guardians was better than some offers of godhood that she would receive. Not only that, but she would be able to visit her father whenever she wanted as an immortal.

"But what do the others think?" Clarisse pulled away from Taz for a brief moment. A flash of worry played across her face. Taz was confused at why she'd asked this. "Well it was Percy's idea to start with and Dante was very impressed by your show of skill and combat initiative." The words sunk in slowly. 'Percy's idea'. She was amazed at how much Prissy Jackson had changed in the year they had all been training with Ares.

"Oh my Zeus." Were the only words to escape her. They continued their afternoon before going back to the big house. Chiron was smiling at them with the corniest grin anyone could muster. Before they could continue to enjoy their day Percy was viciously thrown out of the sea that lined up with the camp. Waves came crashing down upon some of the cabins that had been unlucky enough to be anywhere near Percy when he was in full wrath. The look on Percy's face said it all. Artemis and Thalia flashed in right next to the spot Percy landed at. Thalia had some burn marks that were glowing a sickly green. Greek fire? No, it couldn't have been, it would have eaten right through her. Someone as potent however had clearly been used against her. "What's happened?" Taz asked, his face harder than steel. Percy's voice was deep and grave, something that none of the girls had seen of him this far. "Dragons. They seemed to have aligned themselves with the Titans. Atlas has once again become unbound. They've taken Dante and placed him under the sky. It get's worse." Percy told him. Artemis stepped up. The waves around the camp were crashing violently. It seemed that whatever was going on had seriously incurred his wrath.

"The one organising the dragons has turned out to be a fabled dragon older than our gods. He was not of Greek origin, so it's surprising that such a beast exists. Aranost, the death dragon." Artemis told them. Percy turned to Taz once again. "We need to retain our third Guardian. Now." He told him with absolute power. Taz was in full support of this but saw no way they could. "Without Dante we simply cannot." Chiron frowned before thinking about it for a moment. "If the process takes all three Guardians, why not simply divide the separate parts that make up the part. I'm sure that if you ask Lady Artemis, she could provide the immortality to the Guardians. That was you two can both focus on the pieces that no other could fill in." Chiron's words were sound.

The three immortals formed a triangle around Clarisse. Each of them began to visibly emanate pure power. The moon shone brighter than it ever had and many animals began howling in unison. The waves became so powerful that Dionysus had to reinforce the barrier around the camp. The clouds grew dark and terrible before lightning bolts broke free everywhere. The power they had between them was astounding. A bright light engulfed Clarisse and a moment later, the Guardian had her armour. The waves and sky calmed but the moon stayed bright. Percy didn't waste any time, he full on punched her across the jaw. Taz said nothing but smiled when golden ichor poured from the side of her mouth instead of blood. Taz waved his hand and a second later a suit of armour had formed over her figure. It was a perfect fit but yet as Clarisse had noticed with each of the other Guardian's armour, hers was slightly different. She had a smaller trim than Percy and Taz. Hers shone a brilliant flame red. Her back felt slightly heavy. She craned her neck and noticed that there was a heavy white shield held on by nothing but its own will. She pulled it free with no resistance. She pulled a small indentation that held a strip of the shield itself and a magnificent spear came to full size. She smiled, a goddess of war she truly was.

"And then there were four." Artemis muttered. The process had pumped the Guardians up and they were ready to rescue their brother in arms. A question had suddenly popped up in Taz' mind however. "How did a dragon manage to _capture_ Dante?" He asked, feeling that it would be rather impossible for such a feat to happen. Dante would die long before willingly being incarcerated. Thalia felt a sudden tug at her heart when Taz asked this.

"Aranost is the oldest and most powerful dragon there is. And there wasn't just one dragon, there were four. The others were not a problem, most not even as strong as the wyvern we killed. But this Aranost sprayed a fire so potent it was enough to rival the damaging capabilities of our own Greek fire. It was not magic however and eventually died out." Percy started explaining. Taz's expression was a deadpanned one, that hadn't explained how they captured Dante, it just reinforced his own theory.

"The dragons had us cornered and we found out about the potency of this green fire. The black dragon had reared up and was about to let loose on Thalia. She would have died if not for Dante. He dived in front of the dragon's attack. He managed to subvert most of the damage due to his power over the stuff. He was hurt badly, but it wasn't enough to kill him. The dragons took Dante and left." Artemis expression as she explained had become softer. She didn't like the attitude that Dante was in the heat of battle, but she was beginning to see a completely different side of him whenever he was with her favourite huntress.

The Guardians were all extremely angry now. They had expected a retaliation attack but not so soon. It had been mere hours since they'd taken down the wyvern.

* * *

Dante woke up bleary eyes and aching. The last thing he'd remembered was diving in front of a stream of multi-coloured flowers… Wait, no, that wasn't right. It was fire, not flowers, and it was a sickly green not multi-coloured. Where was he? He looked up and noticed that he was subconsciously holding the sky… Holding the _sky._ "Well… Fuck." He said plain and simple as sweat began to roll heavily down his forehead in huge beads. A huge black dragon slowly crawled up the side of the mountain that he could see. "Landon. Hey good buddy. Good buddy that I killed. Why are you back already Landon?" Dante asked casually, still wary about how he'd gotten in this situation.

"Bah! Do I look like that one hundred headed fool?" The black dragon was incredibly insulted by Dante mistaking him for Landon. Dante squinted briefly before answering back. "Honestly? I thought he could choose between them. You know, like a cosmetic change." Dante smirked. He was immortal so if he managed to aggravate the dragon enough into killing him, then he'd just be doing him a favour by freeing him from the sky prison. A huge titan in a suit walked into Dante's field of vision.

"Just like old times huh? _Guardian._" Atlas spat at the last part before glaring wickedly at Dante. Dante couldn't help himself, he just had to make more jokes. In the end he knew that he may as well try to keep his spirits high as well as the sky. "Aren't you the lead singer for Skindred?" He asked with his most genuine voice. A whip lashed at the back of his exposed thigh. He grimaced from the pain. Whatever it was behind him had seemingly sought out his weak spots in his armour. They couldn't remove it from him as it only responded to the will of the wearer. "Ow." He said at last, not wanting to give his captors the pleasure of seeing him in pain. They soon lost interest in the Guardian.

"I must fly to England today. We have a coven of dragon ready to take Olympus with you. We never had interest in siding with Kronos because of his limited ideas for this world. I will send word of any news that comes up." The black dragon flapped his wings powerfully and left the mountain. The titan turned back to his captive. "That leaves just you and me." He smiled evilly. Dante couldn't help but bring up a sarcastic grin, "Joy of joys." He smirked before he got lashed again.

* * *

**Oh yeah, it's getting real now. The threat has been revealed and Dante has been captured. It's also become fairly obvious to most of the characters that there's slight romances starting to bud here and there. Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	15. The Fourth Guardian

**Chapter 15 - The Fourth Guardian**

Dante whistled jovially as he was being punished under the sky. "Move bitch, get out the way! Get out the way bitch, get out the way." He started singing, purposely out of tune. "Shut up." Atlas grunted at him.

"Oh no! The fights out, I'm 'bout to put yo' lights out!" He continued singing. This time, when he was whipped, he felt something sharp on the end of it, and he swore that he'd heard a growl of some sort. Was he being whipped by a dragon?

"SHUT UP!" Atlas demanded, infuriated that he was seemingly having such a good time. He was starting to regret picking this Guardian, but they had to make do with what they could get away with. He wasn't conscious when they'd taken him, otherwise he'd have caused a lot more problems.

Dante waited for a moment before he started to aggravate the titan once more, "What's your favourite song Titan?" He asked him almost in a sympathetic manner. Atlas glanced at him before turning his back on the immortal who had taken his place in the sky prison. "No? I always had you pegged for a Bonnie Tyler man myself." Dante muttered. He smirked to himself before deciding that another sing along was needed. "Where have all the good men gone?" He started singing, this time he was actually in tune. This was the last straw. Atlas stormed right over to Dante and punched him in the jaw as hard as he could. Dante had been expecting it though and was prepared. Hurt as much as it did, he was still alive and kicking. There was a brief show of shock and confusion present in Atlas, but he was quickly thankful that he hadn't killed the Guardian. "You are tougher than you look little one." He gave him credit where credit was due. Dante looked straight up into his eyes.

"And where are all the gods?" Dante just carried on with his singing where he'd left off, but this time there was a glare present in his eyes, a challenge to the mighty Titan, as if willing him to dare to finish him off. Atlas let off a powerhouse scream of frustration that could be heard from Olympus.

* * *

Annabeth frowned slightly when she heard a scream from the Mortal world. A moment later she had been summoned to the throne room. She went and kneeled by Athena's side. It was a well-respected act for minor gods to stay by their parents. A visage appeared out of the centre of the room and everyone watched. It turned out that Atlas had been freed and a Guardian had taken his place. There were dragons lazing around on Mount Othrys, Landon however was not one of them. It appeared that Dante had been taken against his will, for the Guardians swore on the Styx to be loyal to Olympus, and to free a Titan would be a violation of that.

"Summon them." Zeus' face was grave. A moment later Hera had used her powers to summon three Guardians. All clad in their powerful armour that Hephaestus had engineered for them specifically. Clarisse however had her suit created via Taz's own powers to do so. Ares raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Clarisse was a Guardian but he said nothing. He was incredibly proud that she was the first one to be offered immortality in the Guardians. To Ares, that as truly a great way to spend eternity. Fighting monsters.

Al three Guardians immediately kneeled in front of the council without any prompt necessary. They knew their place. "Rise." Zeus voice was powerful but yet reserved. Taz walked forwards, speaking as a leader for the Guardians. Percy and Dante would have it no other way, he was a natural leader and the most suited to be a figure of authority between them. Though he often spoke for them, there was no official statement about it. The three cousins were all ranked the same.

"You have summoned us." Taz stated. It wasn't a question, it was a prompt for the gods to tell them why they had summoned them and what they wanted from them. Zeus looked almost uncomfortable. "We are aware of the capture of a Guardian. We are also aware that the Titan Atlas has been released. Dante has been forced to take his place. We are offering you aid in the upcoming battles. The release of a Titan means that there is something greater at play here, especially if there are co-operating with a fabled dragon whose existence was unknown even to us." Zeus' expression moved from uncomfortable to angry at the discovery of this. There was a moment of awkward silence before Zeus continued. "We are asking you to rise above and beyond for what is to come. A war with dragons was never expected, yet here we are. Help us Guardians, work in place of the gods and I will personally see to it that you are all rewarded." Zeus dismissed the council and flashed away along with a number of other gods. A few remained however. Clarisse went immediately to speak with Ares who had shrunk and given her a hug that would have crushed concrete.

Apollo came up to Percy and Taz before shrinking, what he did next stunned everyone. He kneeled to the Guardians before rising and speaking to them as immortals. "I am Dante's patron. I did not reveal this to anyone but him, for he has shown me a great potential that I sought to reward. I would offer you more support if I could, but the best I can do is bestow my blessing upon the Guardians as a whole." He told them. Apollo flashed a small grin at Percy who seemed to know exactly what it was about before he disappeared in a flash of sunlight. Artemis came over and grabbed Percy by the shoulder before she teleported them somewhere isolated even by the gods standards. The teleportation always made him dizzy when it was done by someone else. "You WILL tell me what that was about." She stood impatiently, arms folded and looking at him expectantly. He smirked for a moment.

"What!?" She demanded, clearly getting aggravated with him. All he could do was smile, he was loving every minute of this. "You're incredibly attractive when you're angry." He stated without faltering his immense stare or tone. She was surprised by this to no end. She locked eyes with those beautiful sea green orbs that just seemed to anchor her soul straight towards him. He smiled one again before slowly evaporating and returning to Olympus. Taz was waiting for him. Clarisse in tow. Taz nodded at Percy to signify that they were ready to go to Othrys. He took Clarisse by the waist and a lightning bolt sent them straight there. Percy waited for that familiar soft whump behind him. He turned to see Artemis staring at him, like glaring daggers straight through his skull. "You're loving this aren't you?" She almost sneered at him. His response sent her crazy in so many ways. He walked straight over to her. They were the only ones left in the throne room. He put his face right next to hers. His lips only inches away. "Yes I am." He almost whispered. Before she could answer him, Percy had teleported them both to where Taz was waiting at the bottom of Othrys.

"So quick question. _Why_ are we at the bottom? Why not just go up there and fight our way to Dante?" Percy asked, looking a little bit confused by their choice of location. Clarisse and Taz materialised their weapons. Artemis pulled her silver bow from her back. She disappeared briefly before reappearing with a number of her most trusted hunters. Percy pulled riptide out of the side of his armour. He grasped it with both hands before he pulled a complete replica made from solid water out of the side of the blade itself. Here he was with two swords capable of slowing the enemy, then finishing the enemy.

"Well, this feels kind of nostalgic doesn't it?" Taz asked with a bit of dry humour. His face hardened as he continued. "NOBODY lift the sky from Dante, understand? No one. Whether you're a hunter, a god or a Guardian. He can take it until we force Atlas back under it. Do NOT worry about him." Taz told them. They all agreed, it was fairly obvious that Dante would refuse the sky if anyone but the titan tried to take it from him. He wouldn't put that punishment on anyone else.


	16. Revelations

**Chapter 16 - Revelations**

The ragtag group fought their way up the mountain until they were practically at the top. They could hear Dante's panting and heavy breathing, but this time they could not see the titan. They had a brief fear that he'd fled, and that they would be stuck with Dante holding up the sky. That was until the titan in question hurled a boulder at Taz. The Guardian merely held out his hand. The boulder crashed into him but as if propelled, it flew upwards instead of cracking against Taz. When it came down again, Taz jumped and spun his heel into the back of it, effectively launching it back at the titan.

"We shall handle Atlas. You and your hunters should focus on the dragons." Percy told Artemis with absolute authority. She looked back sharply, "I'm not leaving you to fight a titan alone!" It came out much needier than she had meant for it to sound and she blushed immediately. Percy caught sight of this and winked at her. She scowled before cursing herself. She'd let her emotions take control of herself. "This is why I forbid emotional attachments with men." She muttered quietly. Percy only just heard her, and it took all of his will not to say anything. Percy shot the water from his armour forwards, stunning Atlas for a second. It wasn't enough time though. Taz swung his great sword in a deadly arc that sent sparks flying, it only just nicked the titan on the shoulder, but Atlas had escaped the attack unharmed. "Bastard." Taz cursed as he had to dive out of the way from an overgrown winged lizard.

"Triam!" Percy shouted but Taz disagreed, "Not strong enough." Taz argued back, taking flight to quickly decapitate a dragon that got to close. When he swung his greatsword, he not only had immense power behind each strike, but he used his power to accelerate his swings, making them fly much faster.

"Try it anyway!" Percy wasn't taking no for an answer, he'd already started powering up. The hunters had killed the last of the dragons and had taken up perch next to Dante who was sweating and fatigued. Artemis could clearly hear him singing 'You're the Best' in his weary state.

Percy glowed a bright mixture of green and blue. Taz did the same but with a blinding white. Even Dante appeared to be powering up. The Triam was a connection between all of them. Clarisse had joined the hunters at this point in firing at Atlas.

"Clarisse." Dante panted in-between breaths. She turned to him instantly. The moment her eyes met his, a huge power surged from him into her hands. She looked and the moment she noticed it, her spear burned away to reveal a fiery pitchfork. The Triam had to be complete. Artemis looked wide eyed. The power the Guardians had was intense, but from giving Clarisse most of his power had greatly drained Dante, who was now pale in the face and faltering slightly from his feet. In one quick movement he had been reduced to one knee. Clarisse's instincts kicked in and she knew what to do. Percy threw his trident at one of Atlas' feet, impaling it and holding him in place. Clarisse did the same to the other foot. Taz's lightning bolt struck the titan dead on, dazing him enough for the rest of them to finish the job. All three struck out at the titan's head, knocking him completely unconscious. The Triam weapons dissipated to nothingness. Clarisse still had a faint blood red aura about her as she had become a housing of Dante's power.

The Guardians had restored Atlas to being the holder of the sky and Dante had been freed. He was still pale and sweaty so the first thing he did was walked over to Clarisse and waved a hand next to her. The aura left her and the colour had come back to Dante immediately but he still promptly fainted after chuckling like an idiot.

* * *

On Olympus the Guardians presence had been felt immediately and most of the Olympians had come as soon as they could. Apollo healed Dante as best he could, but there was still a degree of natural rest that would be necessary after enduring Atlas' prison. Zeus called for a meeting so that they could discuss their next step against Aranost, but not much progress was made without the information that Dante had discovered out them.

Dante had awoken in a cold sweat, he'd had a dream about the day that he'd been taken to Camp Half-blood. He never knew his mother. She'd died from childbirth complications, and he stayed with his mortal human cousins and his uncle. They were always good to him, but he never felt like it was his place. They told him what they knew about his father and that a letter had arrived telling them that there was a place for people like Dante. It was here that he lived and trained all year round, it was here that he had nearly died so many times in the name of defending the gods and it was here that he'd had the most emotional pain and suffering. He'd lost a sister, but found a brother. He briskly walked to the throne room which was in full swing. Apollo summoned him so that it was less awkward. He nodded his gratitude's and kneeled for the council.

"Tell us Guardian, what have you discovered?" Dante nodded briefly before getting his facts right. The huge black dragon, Aranost? Yes, it was definitely Aranost, he couldn't get that name out of his head no matter how hard he tried. It left a foul feeling on his tongue when he said the name. "There is an ancient dragon so powerful it was dubbed the death dragon. It is bigger than most Drakons I've seen, with slick black scales that look almost impervious to damage. It is as if the dragon was born from the Styx." Thunder boomed outside the throne room. "It can breathe a fire just as potent as our own Greek fire, though it is limited in time." Dante frowned, remembering the feeling of the sickly green fire slowly melting away at his body.

"The dragon is no longer here. It has flown to England. I overhead it saying that there was a coven of dragons awaiting further orders to attack Olympus along with a great number of titans that were awaiting a time to come out of hiding." Dante frowned but it was one with a meaning. He quickly turned to his father. "Lord Hades."

"I'd prefer you call me father." The Guardian was met with a warm smile that was very unbecoming from a lord of the dead. He smiled briefly before continuing. "Father. How quickly can you check on the titans in Tartarus? I know your powers remain limited in Tartarus, but we need to check that they are still incarcerated properly, and have no chance of escape." He asked, looking around at a few faces. He knew something was about to happen, a game changer. Hades' control over the underworld had gradually declined, but they never imagined that it would have been so bad.

"I can open a way into Tartarus and that is it. I cannot even see inside the lands myself. I cannot even open a way out of Tartarus. You would have to seek out Thanatos' doors of death." Hades said grimly. Dante thought about it for a moment before he turned towards the other Guardians. His face was grave and they knew what he was thinking about already. They would usually disagree, but times were about to become a lot more desperate, and such measures would be expected of the Guardians.

"I will venture to the depths and quell the unrest." Was all Dante told them. Percy interrupted him quickly, holding up his hands in protest. "Dante, you cannot go alone. You might be a son of Hades and an immortal Guardian, but it is still Tartarus. Let me go with you. Together we can prevent the Titans from joining Aranost in his assault." Percy's voice always changed ever so slightly when he was proposing an act of extreme bravery, or stupidity, but mostly bravery. Percy received a warm smile from his elder cousin, but before Dante could agree on anything, Artemis interrupted them, "Perhaps such decisions should be had in greater detail. If that is everything father?" Artemis managed to successfully interrupt Percy's decision to go to Tartarus, and made it loom inconspicuous. Zeus dismissed everyone and they all went their separate ways.


	17. Godly Banter

**Chapter 17 - Godly Banter**

Artemis teleported herself and Percy to the same isolated place she had before. Apollo sought out a private audience with Dante and Taz and Clarisse took the hunters back to Artemis' camp. "What the hell was that!?" Percy shouted angrily. Artemis was shocked at his sudden outburst. "Don't address a god like that Percy!" She shouted back at him. Percy hadn't realize that they were standing in a small woodland with a creek that ran right next to his feet. The water was rising and swirling around them gradually. "Why do you get the right to tell me that I am not allowed to venture into Tartarus to prevent a titan uprising!?" His voice only increased in volume. Artemis was snapping back at him now, the distance between the two of them was disappearing quickly.

"Why are you so set on doing this, another Guardian can go in your place!" Artemis retorted quickly. Percy didn't have time to think about what she was saying, there was something on his mind that he had to get out but before he could think about the consequences of what his words might do, they were already out. "Because I'm doing this for you!" He shouted. His eyes were glowing green with power now, just like Artemis' were but silver, her godly aura was illuminating the area around them. The light was playing off the swirling water that had practically engulfed them. She was stunned, she looked deep into his deep sea green eyes. She pulled him close to her and locked her lips into his. It lasted a few seconds but when Artemis pulled away Percy couldn't say anything, his words wouldn't come to him. Artemis tried to say something but the expression in her eyes told him enough. She disappeared leaving him there in the cold moonlight.

Percy fell backwards into the small river and willed the water to flow over him in an attempt to clear his head. "So that happened." He said neutrally. He truly did not know what to make of it. It wasn't like he didn't have a returned sense of feelings for her, because he really did. He wondered if he should ever show his face there again, or if he even could. How could he appease both groups at the same time? Who else would Dante take to Tartarus? Surely if Taz asked him specifically to take another Guardian, then he would? Thalia. Dante was infatuated by Thalia, if Percy could convince Artemis to release Thalia from her eternal oaths, then the Guardians could recruit her into the Guardian corpse.

Percy closed his eyes and focused his mind. With the water rushing over him, his powers were always so much stronger and he knew for a fact that Dante would be able to hear him clearly. He asked him his views on inducting Thalia to the Guardians. He wasn't met with a very positive response, but in the end Dante agreed that if they could convince Artemis to part ways with Thalia, then they could all turn her.

* * *

Dante had spoken with Apollo about the sensitive matter and Dante had tried to help him however he could, but it was simply something that Dante had no control over. It was obviously a matter of the looks that were being exchanged between Artemis and Percy, Dante didn't know enough about the situation to say anything either way. He knew little about the situation and really wished that he didn't even know that much, but he hadn't needed to lie to his patron god about the truth, he just decided to stay well clear of the impending family feud. He didn't leave Olympus straight away, instead he went to find Annabeth, the two of them were the youngest campers at camp half-blood and they both arrived the same year. They'd been the best friends since that day. They weren't as inseparable as Annabeth was with Percy though, but they were still close, and Dante hadn't spoke to her since the Guardian's disappearance well over a year. Dante found Annabeth sitting at a god sized table overlooking the pavilion that was currently under construction. On the table Dante could clearly see some over the top blue prints that were no doubt infinitely complex. Dante jumped using all of the strength that his legs could muster and he pulled himself up on to Annabeth's table. On the side was a full glass of Nectar, he just then realized that he hadn't eaten anything in like over a week.

"May I?" He asked, getting her attention for the first time. She nodded, of course he could. He drank a decent amount. Always the fresh taste of coca cola lapping along his lips, always a refreshing taste. Annabeth then downsized so that Dante could hug her. It was no secret, nor did he want it to be, he had been stunned by her beauty for years and always wanted her to know that he felt more for her than a friend, but even to Annabeth's disappointment, he never did anything about it, and nobody could figure out why. Dante was not a shy person, that just wasn't his personality, and they knew that they had the time for each other, especially now that they were immortal both, but he still didn't do anything. Now Dante was at an impasse as far as women were concerned. He was starting to feel something more for Thalia, but he doubted that he would ever be able to pursue that either. Percy wanted to turn her into a Guardian. Percy had also briefly told him about his and Artemis' little misadventure. He would have spoken to Annabeth about it but not before Percy told her, it wouldn't have been fair.

When Annabeth returned to her full height, Dante noticed a small blush that had formed across her naturally beautiful face. He was about to say something but then the goddess that had made things difficult for him for years just had to come past. Athena looked at Dante with surprise. She never expected anyone to recover from the trials that he'd come across with the sky prison so quickly. She should have known though, he was always far too stubborn to ever give in to something like that. His pride would also then get in the way, he would never let himself be bested by a titan. Dante pushed himself off the table and stood in front of Athena's godly form. He kneeled in front of her feet, "My lady Athena." He said with the utmost respect. She knew as well as everyone else that he had a special place in his heart for Annabeth, yet not even the goddess of wisdom could figure out what had stopped him so many times from acting upon his instincts. She wouldn't question him about it now though. Dante was a Guardian, and they were immortal warriors of skills rivalling the big three themselves. The Guardians were practically gods but without the responsibilities.

"Hello little one. I see you have recovered nicely from your imprisonment." She sparked up a conversation. She would keep it civil for the sake of her daughter. Athena took a seat at the same table that Annabeth was sitting at. She clicked her fingers and once again, Dante appeared on the table. He smiled at her warmly. It was nice to see that she was willing to co-operate for the sake of her daughter. Dante felt a presence inside his mind, Athena wanted to know the questions that so many had asked him before her, but he simply couldn't bring himself to answer her. He promised that the next time he was on Olympus he would seek out a private audience and answer her fully, but today he was simply unprepared. She smiled once again, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"Hello? Dante! I said what do you think of these plans?" Annabeth asked him, snapping him back into reality. He walked over to where he could see them, which was just below her chin. To Athena, it looked like a picture perfect moment. She wondered if she'd been too hard on him at times, mostly because of how perfect the two looked at this moment. Dante frowned for a moment before he looked directly up into Annabeth's storm grey eyes. The sudden eye contact caused Annabeth to blush for a moment. "I'm not going to lie, they look way too complex for me to comprehend." He said, retaining his frown. Athena smiled, "That's good Annabeth. Look into the way Dante's mind works, he can work out a lot of practical things, blueprints were never a difficulty for him. If _he_ struggles, then they are clearly impressive works." Athena told her daughter, which was rewarded with a beaming smile. She soon got back to work. Dante sighed briefly. "I should be going. I have a date with Tartarus." He smiled half-heartedly before turning towards the goddesses before him. "My ladies." He kneeled again before falling through the table. He'd already gone from the shadows underneath. Athena turned to her daughter with a wicked grin. "You like him, don't you?" She was truly evil. A godly mother, but when the need to embarrass a daughter arose; evil like no other.

* * *

Percy hesitantly formed himself in the middle of Artemis' camp. He did it slowly as well, exaggerating the process because he wasn't fond of the conversation that he was going to be forced into with a certain goddess. When he had fully formed he was met face to face with Thalia. "Hey Thals." But she was in no mood, she had obviously been told about what had happened. "She's waiting for you." Thalia told him. She gave him a stern glare but that was it. He sighed heavily before hanging his head and walking into Artemis' tent. What would he tell her? What _could_ he tell her? She was a maiden goddess, one with an oath to forgo all company from men and here she was showing affection for him. How could he even hold it against her? She had captured his attention since the first time they'd properly met all those years ago, when they had their first encounter with Atlas. He walked into her tent, gently letting the front of the door fall down so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. How would the hunters react if they knew? They'd try to skewer him then and there.

"Look, I'm sorry that I raised my voice, it was disrespectful of me." Percy apologized immediately but when he looked up at the goddess he found that he couldn't read her expression at all. What had he done to make her do this to him? He was immortal and yet he felt like dying from guilt. Artemis felt like apologizing, she wanted to tell him that she didn't know what had gotten into her, but the simple fact was that Percy had gotten into her, he had invaded her mind and just refused to leave no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake him off. Beneath his ever changing exterior, was a man that she had fallen for, no matter how much she simply wanted to deny it, she had to face the facts. She had fallen in love with Percy Jackson.

She found a lump form in her throat where her words refused to come out. She wanted to tell him that it was fine, that they shouldn't speak of it ever again, then another part of her wanted to pull a knife out and cut his throat for being so perfect. She wanted to kill him just so that she could have a couple of decades away from him to hopefully get him out of her mind, but she got the feeling that her yearning for him would only intensify until he'd been reformed. In the end, she knew that there was only one way to answer him properly. She grabbed both sides of the armour that folded around his chest and quickly pulled his face into hers. She gave him a deep and passionate kiss that told him that they were about to go on an emotional rollercoaster, and that there was no going back now that they'd started. He stared into her silver eyes, and ran his hand across her face, wiping a strand of her brunette hair out of her eyes, "OK then." Were the only words able to escape his lips.

* * *

**So there you have it guys, it's out in the open, they both know it and there's even more of a complication for the other characters. If I get 50 followers on this story, I will illustrate the Guardians as I have them planned at this point, I.E, Percy, Taz, Dante, Clarisse and Thalia all in their armours with their various weapons xD**


	18. The Fifth Guardian

**Chapter 18 - The Fifth Guardian**

Clarisse waited patiently, sitting at a table with a few of the hunters, talking idly. She waited for Taz and Dante to reappear. She knew what Percy's plan was, and she partially understood what the reasons behind his plan were. Artemis was forbidding Percy from going into Tartarus to settle the place, so Percy wanted to recruit Thalia into the Guardians so that she would go with Dante. Clarisse would have gone if they'd asked her, but she decided that such decisions were better left to them.

"Turn down for what!?" Dante shouted out as he appeared out of a shadow from the side of a tree. It seemed that he was already in his super hyperactive randosity state. Clarisse had learned to deal with it over the years. He really was the most spontaneous man she knew. Taz on the other hand, he was a rational man, tall and handsome. And now more than ever Taz had a body that looked like it was carved from marble. It had occurred to her that actually, all of the Guardians were ridiculously well maintained. She'd noticed herself becoming that much stronger as well. Clarisse could hear the music playing from Dante's headphones. It was extremely loud and something that you would hear in the mortal night clubs. He noticed the hunters looking at him strangely, he quickly decided to change it to something more his speed. Mississippi Queen started playing even louder than the previous song that had been playing. He started the air guitar before putting the music player away.

"I thought you hated everything to do with the mortal world?" Clarisse asked him when her comrade walked over. He stayed standing because while he was welcome in the hunter's camp, he didn't want to push things too much and sit at their table with them. He knew where to draw the line.

Dante considered this for a moment, "Well, most things yes, but the music? There's a good chunk of music that is just… GODLIKE!" He exclaimed. Exaggerating the point immensely. She looked at him funny, much like she did when she was about to attack him during a game of capture the flag, just to be beaten back by his infuriatingly incredible speed.

"You are an incredibly random man." She stated. She didn't expect a response, nor did she particularly get one, but what Dante said made her grab for her spear. "And yet I will always be the most alluring man here." He told her without a trace of sarcasm. He noticed her knuckles clench as she glared at him. "Think about it. Power is attractive, and what's more attractive than a badass that always pulls through? In all fairness, I am easily the weakest of my cousins, yet I am the one that will without a doubt outlast them all." He smirked at her, successfully getting under her skin.

"You openly admit that both Taz and Percy are stronger than you?" Clarisse looked at him wide eyed at his statement. She ignored the part about his self-proclaimed attractiveness. Dante tilted his head ever so slightly before smiling again. "Of course. Each of us has a particular attribute that we excel at above all others. Taz has the strength, Percy has the speed and I have the fortitude. I'd make a point about brain power but come on, this is us that we're talking about." Dante laughed. He didn't even wait for a response from Clarisse, he seemingly had better things to do, which- He didn't.

Clarisse wanted to chase after him and give him a thorough beating just because she felt strong enough that she could. She knew better, but she didn't have to. Taz's lightning bolt hit the ground and after the flash of light disappeared, there he was, his shoulder length wavy blond hair and piercing electric blue eyes found her immediately. He smiled as soon as his eyes set sights on her. "Hey beautiful." He said a little tired from the strenuous work of having to deal with hearing his father groan about all of their current problems. She walked over and embraced her boyfriend, her hands soon started to glide along the tops of his wings which responded at their own will. One of the wings wrapped around Taz and slowly stroked down Clarisse's face while the other just fluttered back into a furled up state. Taz tilted his head and a mere second later both of his wings went back to sleep.

"So what's happening next?" She asked him. She knew what was happening next. All four Guardians would go to Artemis' tent where they would discuss the exact details of Dante's descent into Tartarus, then Thalia would be called and offered a place in the Guardians. Clarisse expected an argument between Dante and everyone else when they proposed that Thalia go with him. It was obvious to everyone that he'd become somewhat partial to her, although that might have just been because she was so easy for him to get along with. Even among demi-gods Dante had trouble actually being around them, though that might have changed since he'd trained so intensely. She did notice that his personality was somewhat different to what she was used to. "Hopefully, a plan that we can all agree on." He muttered before letting go of Clarisse and walking towards Artemis' tent.

Dante was standing at the main table along with Percy. Artemis and Thalia were already both there, on the other side of the table. The four seemed deep in discussion about Olympus. Taz and Clarisse walked in and took a side of the squared off table so that they could clearly see what was going on. They were playing RISK.

"OH come on Arty, that just wasn't fair!" Dante moaned. Artemis glared at him when he called her Arty. He stopped and apologized before getting back to their game. "Now that we're all here, how about we get on with this?" Taz spoke up, getting everyone's attention. He started explaining their offer to Thalia who was surprised to see that her mistress was agreeing to release her from her eternal oath.

"So how will this work? Because I'm already immortal." Thalia asked them with a seriously confused look on her face. Percy analysed the situation for a moment. "Well, basically, we'll strip you of all types of godly blessings and such and provide our own base layer of power. You'll reassume immortality but under _our_ immortality. You'll continue aging until you're between twenty and twenty five. Your body will stop aging when you reach your peak age. Other than that, you'll receive the Guardians blessing. The choice is yours, take it or leave it." Percy sat back down again. To Thalia's surprise, Dante had nothing to say about this. He sat against the side of the tent, playing with one of his daggers, twirling it around each of his fingers, hilt to blade before flipping it and catching it just to roll it around his fingers again.

"Lady Artemis?" She looked towards her. Artemis smiled warmly, "Go on sister. It is what you want." She gave her sister a warm grin and raised her hand. The faint silver glow that was always around her glowed much brighter before fading completely. They all walked out into the open area of the encampment where everyone had their attention. They'd noticed that Thalia no longer bore the blessing of Artemis. The three Guardians excluding Clarisse who did not have the power to create a Guardian, stood in a triangle around Thalia, they all raised their hands, which at first intimidated her a little bit. Taz tensed up, he got the feeling that he was being watched up above by Zeus himself. He muttered a quick reassurance to her father before they continued. After a minute or two of extreme amounts of raw energy being passed from person to person, it all locked together in one bright flash of light. They didn't need to check if Thalia was a Guardian or not, it was a guaranteed process when all three of them were involved. Dante waved his hand and slowly a suit of the very same celestial bronze power armour started forming over her body. The armour itself was white like everyone else's but with a lightning yellow trim adorning it, and out from her back a set of feathery wings had protruded with elegance. Dante sighed, it must have been a child of Zeus thing. The transformation was complete. Now there were five Guardians.


	19. Set In Motion

**Chapter 19 - Set In Motion**

After a moment of silence, it was broken apart by Taz mentioning their next move, "Now we must decide what is to be happening in Tartarus." He sighed at the end of this though because it would be no easy feat to convince Dante of taking anyone else.

"I will go, and I will destroy anyone who threatens Olympus-" All three of the original Guardians looked towards the sky sharply. They had felt something that Clarisse and Thalia hadn't. A sense that only they had. "The giants are resurfacing and marching back to Greece. It may actually take all of you." Dante noted. Taz and Percy contemplated this for a moment. "No, you should venture to Underworld with Thalia. We can take care of the giants on our own." Percy told him. Dante was about to argue, so Taz got involved. "Dante, it is solid logic, now please do it." His voice was stern yet he wasn't commanding him to do it. Dante grunted slightly. He prodded Thalia in the forehead carelessly and teleported them from their own shadows. The Underworld it was. They couldn't go directly into Tartarus, it was a place that dampened powers of teleportation.

"We must go to Greece anyway. The doors of Death will have to be opened from either side if they wish to come out there. I know that Dante will have a few tricks up his sleeve." Percy nodded. Taz and Clarisse left for Greece immediately but Percy yet again found himself staring into the eyes of a certain brunette goddess. Percy sat down and closed his eyes in a corner as if meditating so that it didn't look suspicious to any of Artemis' hunters. He casually reached out with his mind. Artemis nearly gasped when she felt another presence insider her own head.

'You do not want us to go to Greece?' He asked her. She thought up her answers. Of course she didn't want him to go to Greece. She knew that he was capable of keeping himself safe but what they were verging on was yet another war between Olympus and some Titan aided army. This time is was the biggest threat they would ever face. Dragons were always fiercely intelligent creatures and thus, only the weak minded ones had sided with Kronos in his attempt to seize Olympus. But now that the dragons were being led by Aranost, the oldest and strongest of them all, they had finally a reason to take down the gods of Olympus.

'It is my duty. I will go but I will make you a promise if you care to hear it?' His words were soft inside her mind, but they turned her crazy with every syllable. She couldn't even think about her response, she just said it. "Please." She turned to him. She heard him muffled a laugh as he stood up and walked over to her. He started his sentence in a hushed voice. "My promise to you is that I won't let anything happen to me or my Guardians. I promise to come back to you. And I also promise that next time I won't give your hunters a reason to question you." He smirked. She hated that smirk, it set her emotions on fire. Wait, what did he say? A reason to question you? "Why would they question me?" She asked him wearily. "Oh no reason." He said, kissing her on the cheek in full view of everyone. He'd turned into water just as a spear impaled the spot he'd been standing on, but just as quick as he'd turned to water, the water was gone.

A faint sea breeze crept past everyone. She cursed him silently using every word she knew. English, Latin and Greek included. Her hunters all looked at her, shocked that she'd let a man live after kissing her on the cheek. She had no choice but to tell them that she didn't have the power to kill him, he was immortal. She only just managed to get away with not having to tell them why he did it.

Of course it was Phoebe that tried to murder Percy, she'd never gotten over Zoe's death, and always blamed Jackson for it. Sighing after her explanation, she retired to her tent, she had to get a new lieutenant, and soon. The hunt had to continue, and she couldn't manage this many women all by herself, a second in command was necessary for the hunters of Artemis.

* * *

The underworld looked the same as it always had. Thalia felt uneasy at first, what with being so far away from the sky and even the ground, but it soon passed. She was a Guadian now, not a hunter of Artemis, and Guardians had jurisdiction in every realm across Earth and Olympus. Dante had led her down a fancy corridor that was lined up by skeletal guards. They were all military from different time eras. Standing in the way of a set of double doors there was a guard like the others, except Thalia hadn't seen anything like it. Dante noticed her troubled look. "My father managed to sneak one from a future time era. Keep that quiet though, he was only allowed to take one of them. I think he called it a Sentinel?" Dante waved at it and the big guard moved to one side without question. He must have recognized not only the authority that the Guardians held, but the son of Hades himself. Inside the throne room the lord of the underworld sat in a huge leather chair with a set of headphones on. He was listening to a vinyl of some kind before expressing his disgust at it and throwing it half way across the room before he sent it into oblivion via a fireball.

"Hey! What was wrong with that album?" Dante spoke up. Hades looked around before smiling. "It was a tribute album. They just can't replicate Dio these days. They say it was to commemorate all of the achievements in his life but they don't even have Man on the Silver Mountain!" Hades shouted out in disgust. Dante tilted his head and frowned for a moment. "Fair play." He nodded. Hades went on to curse about the album he'd spent a couple of drachma to obtain.

"You spent _drachma _to obtain a mortal album? You could have just sent Mrs Doody over there to go and get it." Dante pointed to a Fury that looked comfortably perched above his father's throne.

"DODDS!" The Fury screeched at him.

"Whatever. And would you pick a position and stick with it. You're annoying me." He retorted. Hades nodded and flicked his wrist. The Fury dissolved into gold dust and teleported somewhere. Dante decided to get down to business. "Father, I seek the entrance to Tartarus, I know you've hidden it further than ever before. I just need to know where it is. Once I'm there, I will find my own way out. One way or another." Dante told him. The determination in the Guardian's face was one of absolute certainty. Hades hesitated but decided that his eldest would find it eventually, so he gave in and told him the direction of where Tartarus was now located. The two Guardians left the palace of Hades without any further delays. The way was straight through the fields of Asphodel.

"You've never been to underworld have you?" Dante sought to break the ice. As it were, they were about to reach Elysium. They had to go through Elysium to reach the meadows of Asphodel where they had to travel through in order to reach the entrance to Tartarus. A hole that was a couple of miles wide and many miles deep. They would freefall until they reached the bottom.

"No. I haven't had any reason to. I'm not longer an eternal maiden." Thalia's voice was saddened by the fact that she was no longer directly tied to her sister through service, but there was something else in her voice that Dante picked up. "Well, I guess now that you're immortal, you could totally go and find a minor god to spend eternity with." He smirked. She hit him hard for that comment but didn't say anything. "What? It's what I'm planning on doing. After this war I'm finally going to confront her about it." He told her, in explanation for his jokes. Thalia nearly faltered. So it was true, he really did already have his sights set. Oh well, she wasn't going to beat herself up about it. Elysium was relatively small compared to what she was expecting, it was mostly filled with the souls of fallen heroes. They reached the meadows of Asphodel where they could see a slowly ever expanding area as new souls appeared. They pushed past them all the way until they had finally gotten to an exit pathway that led to an outer darkness lit only enough to show the miles wide start to the hole.

"Well. This is it I guess. Make sure to slow your descent with your wings." Dante told her as he checked his gear and his helmet appeared out of nowhere and covered his face completely. Thalia nodded and did the same. "What about you?" She asked, fully prepared to carry him down with her strong wings. He chuckled a little bit. "Don't worry about me, this is where I am the most powerful. The fall will not hurt me. I'll see you down there babe." He laughed as he jumped straight into the depths of Tartarus.

The walls became a distant grey blur that rushed past them. The wind would have obscured their vision if they had been without their helmets to keep their heads clear. They were fast approaching the smouldering grounds of Tartarus, only another few seconds and they would hit the floor. Dante changed his posture and simply impacted with the floor so hard that Thalia could have sworn he keep falling, but then she saw the crater that he'd made upon impact. She splayed her wings out and her fall changed into an easy glide to where Dante was climbing out of his crater. He pulled out his daggers and shook them slightly. They morphed into sickles, a longer reach weapon for each arm. Thalia instinctively tried to take a bow from her back before thinking that she no longer had her huntress gear. She was surprised when her hand touched a bow none the less and she pulled a bright white longbow off her back.

"Are there any other weapons that come with the job?" She asked instinctively. Dante nodded and touched her hip which was a bit close too her bum for her liking but she soon realised that he was pointing towards a piece of her armour that protruded further than the rest. She put her bow on her back and pulled the stick of armour and shook it like she'd seen the other Guardians do. It turned into a Warhammer the size of her arm. She waved it around before she wobbled it once again and it turned into a full sized two handed maul of white destruction. She was fascinated once again by her armour. They started walking but didn't get half a mile away from where they'd dropped before they were attacked by giants who were wandering around trying to find the hundred handed ones to fight with. What they got instead was much worse for them than relatives of the cyclopse's.

"Giants are not a problem, what we are here to stop, is a titan uprising. Four Titans to be specific." Dante told Thalia as he turned a giant into a mound of sliced flesh. Thalia knew exactly what he was talking about at that point. They were Kronos' brothers. Hyperion, Iapetus, Koios, and Krios. Thalia wasn't looking forwards to fighting Hyperion or Krios, those two were some nasty work. She wondered if they even could best them. They were in Tartarus so surely they would reform straight away. Immortals fighting immortals in the heart of Tartarus was sure to be a never ending battle, but Dante seemed to have thought about all of this before he came up with the idea of venturing this far into the dark. She hoped.

The giants hadn't been any challenge at all. It felt good for Thalia to get a bit of revenge on those who had actually killed her before. She could feel the power of the Guardians fortifying her every move though. They marched on, first stop, Bob's holding cell.


	20. Rivals

**Chapter 20 - Rivals**

"Where are we?" Clarisse asked at once. Percy formed out of water right next to them. He took one look around before smiling like an idiot. "What is it?" Taz asked with irritation present in his voice, he didn't have time for Percy's games. "This! Is! Sparta!" Percy shouted out at the top of his lungs. Not a second went past before they heard another voice.

"No shit Jackson." A gruff voice answered them. They were in a built up city that had a decent amount of open area around it. They were clearly on the outskirts of a town, but they were grateful that they had areas that wouldn't get obliterated by a fight if the Giants decided to come their way. The man whose voice it had belonged to was sitting on a motorcycles that looked like it was made from chains. It had a skull where a windscreen should have rested and the wheels were on fire. Ares had decided to either spectate or make things more difficult for them. Ares was the only god that Percy wouldn't bow to outside the throne room. He still wasn't happy with him for tricking him into delivering Zeus' lightning bolt to Hades all those years ago. Ares smirked from behind his shades. Percy had to hand it to him, after all this time, the guy definitely knew how to look like a badass.

"What is it that you want god of War?" Taz asked, breaking up the tension that was building. Even though Taz was dating his daughter, Ares liked him more that Percy because he respected strength, and Taz was the strongest Guardian there was. He chuckled for a moment before his face turned dark.

"You face more than dragons Jackson." He said, turning back to Percy. "Down in Tartarus things are stirring. Death breath's son won't completely stop the titans from coming back. Four titans are on the rise. I have complete faith that Dante will succeed in slowing them, but they are greater titans. The primordial lords of the stretched of this world so to speak. The brains behind this scheme was VERY clever, this dragon thing yeah? It has set a plan in motion that will bring titans back and it has also organised a champion for each of you Guardians. Which means that you've got its attention." Ares spoke quickly and darkly. So the dragons have got the four most powerful titans on the rise, Kronos excluded and it has chosen a specific warrior to kill each Guardian.

"Excellent." Percy sighed, "So who has been chosen to fight me?" Percy grimaced when Ares stroked his chin. "I don't know for certain. You however-" He pointed to Taz and grinned, "Are a very lucky boy indeed." He started to chuckled. Taz groaned and moaned because he knew for a fact that he wasn't really lucky at all.

"You have got a child of Styx after you. Does the name Kratos ring any bells?" Ares asked him. Taz paled slightly. "Fuck sake." Was all he said. Kratos was the god of strength and if Aranost had convinced him to hunt Taz down, then he'd already be on his way.

"So did you just come here to warn us?" Clarisse asked her father, feeling a slight tug in her gut. She noticed that the other Guardians felt it. That meant that there was a situation arising. She also knew exactly what was about to happen. She realized that it was because of her powers as a Guardian. Giants were coming their way.

"No, I offer you something else. I have a son the same age as Clarisse. He lives in the United Kingdom. He is aware of his heritage but wanted nothing to do with traveling overseas to get to camp half blood, he will join your Guardian unit if you offer him. I'm sure that you can see him on your way home. You'll know exactly how useful he'll be when you meet him." Ares grinned again. This was where Clarisse looked annoyed. Ares hadn't even suggested her when the Guardians were contemplating first recruits so what made this guy so special?

"What's his name, father?" She asked before Ares gunned the motorcycle and revved it loudly. He looked at them all with that same grin. "War." He laughed before the bike took him ten yards before melting away into the ground. That raised a lot of questions to Taz but they could see a giant on the horizon. Percy nodded and disappeared, he would handle it with each while they talked. "You know where he is?" He asked Clarisse who just nodded glumly.

"Yes. He lives in the mountains of Scotland. He lives by old means and he stays away from people. If you can convince him of joining the Guardians then we will truly have a decent fighting force." She told him. He guessed why his namesake was War, he must have been the strongest child of Ares to have been given that privilege. Percy reappeared holding a giants head with a seriously worried look on his face. "I've just figured out who's hunting us. Aranost has given each Guardian a god who's attributes are far greater than our own. Kratos, the god of strength is hunting you. That must mean that-" Percy never got a finish, he was hit in the face by what looked like a winged angelic statue. When he straightened up with an annoyed look on his face he just sighed. "What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me! Is that my _rival_ is going to no doubt be the lovely lady flying above us." He said, looking up with disgust. Above them a winged angel of beauty stood with a spear in hand.

"I thought these gods and goddesses were aligned with Olympus, it doesn't make any sense why they would turn now." Clarisse argued. It was obvious that Aranost had power, but in such large amounts that gods and goddesses were turning against Olympus, especially after the war with Kronos. "Nike." Percy spat out the ichor that had formed in his mouth from the hit that the goddess of speed had issued him with. He turned to water and reformed immediately near where the giants were charging towards them, he felt like he could keep up. "That means that deep down in Tartarus, Dante not only has to deal with four major titans but also…" Taz started, but quickly strained his brain as he tried to think of who was the ancient Greek god for Fortitude.

"Oh shit, Hercules!" Taz shouted out. He grabbed Clarisse and they went straight over to Percy to join the battle. He could only hope that Kratos didn't join the fight so soon. If he was lucky, he'd be able to take him on with everyone else there. Taz couldn't help but wonder exactly how large the forces that Aranost had managed to secure were. The battle raged on but after a few minutes, the giants were all dead. Nike was sitting on a boulder twenty yards away from everyone, yawning sarcastically.

"Well if you're done with the foreplay." She began as she rose into the sky. All three Guardians converged at the top of the hill to see a huge army of giants and dragons all waiting for them. Nike resumed her position at the top of them all. Taz unleashed a breath of relief when he couldn't see Kratos anywhere near them. "Prepare to be fucked!" Nike shouted out. When she'd finished two more giants, far larger than any of the others rose out of the ground.

"Those aren't giants. They're gigantes." Clarisse muttered as she squinted to take a closer look. Neither Taz nor Percy could differentiate them from the other giants down there so it was lucky that they had someone with an intelligent side with them. Clarisse's eyes widened in horrow when she figured it out though. "That's Porphyrion and Polybotes! This whole battle has been thought out." She stated in shock at the organisation of their enemy.

"Let's do this." Taz's battle hardened mode had kicked in. Several blinding streaks of white lightning struck the battle field. The wind picked up and even more dust had been scattered around. The three Guardians proceeded to do what they did best. They kicked fucking ass. Pretty soon the battle came between the gigantes and the Guardians. "We need to Triam if we want to take these guys down now." Taz told them. Percy agreed and they began to power themselves up.

* * *

Dante stopped and crouched down, knee to the ground. "What are you doing?" Thalia asked him, wondering what had caused the funny expression. He explained that he felt a connection between his cousins. They were starting a Triam. Dante quickly explained how it was possible for him to do it. His part of the Triam would continue to travel faster and faster, through everything that came it's way until it hit it's target. Thalia muttered something about being overpowered but let him be. When Dante was glowing violently red he turned on his heel and a fiery pitchfork made completely of red light formed in his hands. He continued to spin before launching it straight into the ceiling of Tartarus. The pitchfork would only become stronger as it continued to travel, but he wouldn't be able to pull that off again, not for a while. He hoped that they weren't in too much trouble if they were calling for a Triam. He could only hope.

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter took longer to update, I've been asleep for most of the time. I hope you guys are enjoying what this story is becoming. I know things are going slow at the moment, but at least we've gotten to the start of the Tartarus thing that's going on right now. Give me a review and let me know what you guys are liking about this story so far! :)**


	21. Ares Suggestion

**Chapter 21 - Ares Suggestion**

**Dante POV**

She done it again… She was looking at me like I didn't know where I was going. Of course I knew where I was going… Pfft, fuck that, I'm lost and I don't care who knows it. That being said, I'm sure that if I stop and ask directions. We came to a clearing that had a building that seemed like it was on fire constantly yet never degrading. Strange. I walked straight up to the door.

"Dante, what are you doing?" Thalia asked me like I was completely insane. Which I am honestly not…

"Oh you know, just greeting the neighbours." I smiled at her funnily. She rolled her eyes at me, something that she'd recently been doing a lot of. "Honey, I'm home!" I shouted out loudly as I kicked down the door with enough force to send it flying further into this dimly lit room. I heard a smash and when I squinted my eyes enough, I saw what the door had been splintered into oblivion from. Ah shit.

"Hello Bob." I grunted gruffly. Just the man that I was REALLY hoping to avoid. Iapetus.

"Demi god? You are in Tartarus, son of Hades. Oh I'm going to enjoy ripping your spleen from your body." He got out of an old chair and grunted as his muscles heaved him forwards. He'd spent way too long out of the circulation of things, but even so, I'm much faster and stronger than him. And I'm sure as Hades MUCH tougher than this big bastard.

"Can't we talk about this?" I asked him in my most genuine but obviously fake voice. He smashed downwards with his bulky fist. I easily pushed away from it with my palms. Thalia just watched, looking bored with herself. She must have naturally realized that I'm without a doubt going to beat this Titan back to the depths. "The time for talking is over!" He screeched at me. I winced at the sheer volume of his shouting before taking things into my own hands and going on the offensive. I jumped over another swipe and crunched my heel into Iapetus' face, which gave me enough room to pull out my knives. One was lodged in the titans face as fast as a speeding bullet, but the other was going to be used for the kill. I lept high and hard before hitting the titan head on with my remaining weapon, just to rip into him and drag a cut that was as deep as the length of my blade, straight down his chest. He turned to dust, but instead of gently flowing into the breeze, every part of the dust exploded outwards in a thousand directions. It was fucking awesome.

* * *

**Percy POV**

This… Is not good at all. I've got Nike hunting me down, and in all honesty, I'm not certain that I can best her, I can definitely keep track of her, but how I'm going to bring her down is beyond me. I don't even know how she that pesky dragon managed to recruit her into a titan army. Gods and titans working together under a dragon's banner to take down Olympus? Why does this always have to happen to me? I turned my body into a wave that just kept increasing in size and soon enough I had near enough covered the entire battlefield. Taz got the notion of what I was doing and a moment later he sent many streaks of lightning into my body of water. The lightning streaked through every part of me and I felt the monsters all explode into dust. I reformed and uncapped Anaklusmos. Taz was way ahead of me. His wings were flapping furiously, twisting him around in a vortex of furious wings and lightning, his great sword at arm's length, cutting down anything that threatened to get in his way. Nike had been caught up in Taz's whirlwind and I saw my opportunity, I teleported to them instantly, latching onto the goddesses back. I cut her throat open before she could even scream for her life. The rest of the battle raged on for another few hours, none of us faltered in our efforts to defend against the titans.

I sat down on a rock and started cursing my bad luck. Trust me to be stuck with a god that was so fast she was a blur when she moved. "Well that was…" Clarisse began. I had an excellent way to finish that sentence. "Highly satisfying." I grinned as I nodded at the beach of gold dust that had appeared below us in the fields we had shed ichor in.

"That's one rival killed, only Kratos and Hercules left." Taz groaned as he sat down next to me and waved his hand. Immediately his boot had formed in his hand and he was shaking it free from the dust that the monsters had become. He quickly reformed it around his foot before laying down and muttering things I couldn't hear.

"I wonder how Dante is doing down below. We should get to the doors of death soon and be ready." Clarisse told us. She was right of course, we really needed to get a move on with things, but we hadn't been expecting an army to oppose just three of us so soon. It was tense alright, but we knew that we could do it.

"I think we need to send one of us to fetch War. Either me or Clarisse." I told them. Clarisse nodded slightly at this. "I shall go. I'm his sister, I can relate to him the most. We need a place to keep him, but he doesn't respond well to other people, so camp half-blood might not be the best place for him." Clarisse sighed. I nodded ever so slightly, she was the right choice for that, plus me and Taz are far stronger than she is right now, if we come to blows with any more armies, I'm sure that we can handle it.

**Clarisse POV**

I can't imagine Prissy succeeding to get my bone head of a brother to join the Guardians, no this has to be me, and it's a delicate situation, which is a strange thing to associate with children of Ares. Percy nodded, he was clearly thinking of the hunters but there was no way in hell I could see them accepting War among them. He really was a typical man. The last time I'd overheard dad talking about him, it was about a 'rampage' that he'd gone on that had consisted of drinking and fucking women. The hunters would never accept him as anything other than a Guardian. "I guess I can ask Artemis, but I seriously doubt we'll get any leeway with him." He bit his lip before he closed his eyes.


	22. Heat Of The Moment

**Chapter 22 - Heat Of The Moment**

**Percy POV**

Artemis. I thought about Artemis and focused when I could feel her mind, it was a war sensation that actually made me blush slightly. My cheeks felt hot, but I could easily blame that as being a part of the telepathy powers.

"Artemis, its Percy."

_"Percy? Where are you?" _She asked, getting used to the feeling of the mental connection between us.

"Greece, like I said I would be. So things have taken a turn for the worst and Ares has decided to point us towards a child of his that would be perfect for the Guardians. He has some serious issues with people in general so we can't take him to Camp half blood."

_"I don't like where this is going Percy. You know that I'd do almost anything for you, but I can't convince the hunters to not try to kill him if you haven't already turned him into a Guardian."_

"You'd do almost anything for me? Wow, good to know Artemis. Tell them that he has issues, he's not at fault with being a man."

_" I can only try, what's his name?"_

"His name is War."

_"Absolutely not, I know of that child of Ares. He lives in the mountains of Scotland, secluded from humanity. He isn't welcome here as a mortal, and I'm going to pretend to be angry with you even when he's a Guardian. Goodbye Jackson." _She forced me from her mind. Well that was certainly a new experience. Interesting.

"So yeah, there's no way that the hunters are letting War anywhere near them. I guess, just take him to Olympus for now?" I told her. She nodded quickly and vanished in a flash of red light. That left just me and my cousin to fight off endless waves of monsters, and very possibly Kratos. Excellent!

* * *

**Third Person POV**

"So, we've killed Iapetus, but we haven't heard from the other titans, which means that we should assume they're free above us. That's not good." Thalia frowned. Dante walked over to her. He looked around their surrounding areas.

"Not good at all. But at least we won't have to fight anymore titans while we're down here. My power has been limited to twenty percent the entire time." He laughed as if that was a perfectly reasonable thing to have happen to someone.

"Twenty percent, are you kidding me?" Thalia asked him, looking at him incredulously. He looked at her strangely. "Thalia come here." He said as he cupped her face in his hands. He pulled her face close to his and her breathing hitched immediately. He stared into her eyes.

"Thalia you're using even less of your power than I am." He said extremely calmly before he let go and backed away. Less than twenty percent of her power? How could she be, she felt stronger than ever!

"I know what you're thinking, it'll all come to you in one quick flush when we're on the outside world. I knew the risks of coming down here but we didn't have time to explain it to anyone new to the Guardians. I'm sorry about that." Dante told her before turning around.

"I'm more annoyed that you didn't kiss me to be honest." Thalia muttered too quietly for Dante to hear her. "Hmm?" He prompted her to say something but he didn't turn around. She scowled silently, "Nothing." She told him as she caught up to his strides.

**Thalia POV**

How could he tease me like that? The absolute bastard! I think he's taking as much opportunity to touch me without fear of being turned into a Jackalope by Artemis now that I'm no longer a hunter or tied to that eternal oath of maidenhood and chastity. He's annoyed me now, I know that he sees it as a game when women are concerned… Fine, we'll play by his rules. "It's getting pretty hot down here." I said as I casually strolled one of my fingers down the sides of my armour. It magically cleaved itself into a more revealing suit, one that hung loosely to my body but would still protect me if I needed it. I saw Dante's eyes widen out of the corner of my own. He was in front of me and my little show had caused him to just stop walking. He stood with his jaw wide open.

I walked up to him sexily and pushed his jaw back up. "Come one, we're lagging behind." I winked at him and continued to walk past him. According to what he'd said an hour ago, we were probably now only a few miles away from the doors of Death. Thanatos' special gateway into Underworld. We continued walking and eventually I noticed that Dante's eyes began to get brighter, almost illuminating the area with power. His aura became visible. We were getting close to the mortal world again. I felt stronger and faster as well. I noticed that my body began to pulse with a constant crackle of electricity.

I climbed up a small tower of rocks, Dante hot on my heels. I had definitely gotten his attention. It must have been all of the teasing and looks that I'd been giving him for the past couple of miles. I would have hated to have been him right now. I overlooked a plain where a set of doors that were easily fifty feet tall stood guarded by a huge army. They seemed to have known that we were down here and didn't want us to leave. Still not sign of the other titans. They must have left Iapetus down here to rot. I looked over at Dante, he wasn't looking at me anymore. He was stood facing the other way his arms crossed. It would appear that I have defeated the famous womanizer.

I was loving every moment of it, but I only made things worse when I turned to him and pressed my body against the back of his, "Dante, baby what's wrong?" I asked, teasing him so much more than was fair. I wasn't expecting him to turn so sharply though. He pushed me against a rocky wall and held my arms above my head. His lips were pressed firmly against my own, it was only a matter of seconds before I felt his tongue wrap around my own, the warm wetness that it brought through only made me more excited. He eventually broke away from the kiss but it wasn't over yet, I soon felt his hot breath against my neck. "Not so fun now is it?" He asked. I managed to squirm one of my hands out of his grip but he didn't really try to stop me. I ran a hand across his armour. It didn't budge, but when I did it the second time, a streak where my hand had run across broke away at my touch, revealing his solid muscles underneath.

"It's always fun." I grinned at him before he broke away from me completely. He didn't say anything else to me, he just pulled his armour back together and jumped down into the sea of monsters eagerly awaiting us below.

"For fuck sake!" I growled at him as I jumped and glided down into the battle as well. Enraged that he'd just left me there, wanting more but denied everything.


	23. War

**Chapter 23 - War**

**Clarisse POV**

I shouldn't be easy to spot out here. Apart from the red trim lines on my armour, I am almost invisible on this snowy mountainside. There's a cabin up ahead that looks fairly roomy. It's also built for a small giant, so I'm guessing that it's War in there. What made my father name him War? I knew that there was a namesake to every god that should they ever have a child that fits that name, then they would automatically become the heirs to the immortal god's throne. War was supposed to become the heir anyway as he was the first child my father has had in many years. I knocked on the door and heard the floor inside creek. The ten foot tall door opened and standing there almost taking up the whole thing was my brother war. War was seven and a half feet tall and had more muscle than Dante and Tazman combined. It was strange to see someone so capable not siding with the gods. He wasn't with the titans either. If it came down to it, he would fight everybody.

"You're a long ways out lass." He said with a thick Scottish accent, but it was still somewhat attractive, so I could see how he managed to go on his little rampages so often. All of the mortal girls would have swooned over someone his height and built. He was shirtless and wore a blue tartan kilt. That was all well and fine but he was wearing polished black combat boots. He noticed that look I was giving him. "They're comfy and warm." He shrugged. He had straight shoulder length white hair that seemed to shimmer in the dull light from inside his cabin.

"Why are you here lass? Nobody should be able to survive coming this far north with this storm." He told me. He had a wry smile but it was obvious that even this much of a social interaction when he wasn't drunk was too much for him.

"My name is Clarisse La Rue. I am a daughter of Ares and an immortal Guardian of Olympus. I've come to offer you a place by my side... Brother." I told him. His eyes widened slightly and he seemed to have warmed to me, so he invited me inside his huge cabin. I walked inside and to my surprise the only things inside were a fire, a chair, a separate room which held a toilet and shower. The bed was in a corner, and then there was the big bookshelf.

"What is it you have come for?" He asked, pointing me towards the chair. He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled a plain white shirt on.

"I think you know. The threat for Olympus is greater than we first believed. I am part of an elite Guardian unit that are rivalling the gods in power. There are five of us that are dedicated to keeping demi-gods safe, and protecting Olympus." I sighed before getting on to the next part, "We need you War. We're fighting a war against an ancient dragon who has created an army out of many powerful titans, monsters and even a few gods." I finished telling him. He considered this for a moment.

"Will I get to see father?" He asked me, I could sense some resentment in his voice but it was still a genuine question.

"Whenever we are not on a mission." I nodded. He stood up straight away. "I agree. Where are we going and how are we getting there? I have a small amount of money from chopping wood for a local village but not enough for plane tickets." He told me. Bless him.

"Aww isn't that cute. No, I'm going to teleport us. Try not to be sick, you're about to see Olympus." I told him as I grabbed his absolutely solid arm. He will definitely be of use to us. The next moment we were on Olympus and for some reason his shirt was off straight away, revealing the almost impossible numbers of muscles he had. I wondered why then I saw a load of Nymphs splashing around in a water fountain. I sighed as he headed straight over to them and already started flirting with the inhabitants of Olympus. I groaned when Aphrodite and dad walked over. I clicked my fingers and War appeared by my side.

A look of confusion on his face. He straightened up and scratched the back of his head. Dad was the first over he had contemplated downsizing to his human form, but he didn't because his son wasn't too much smaller than him in his godly form. "War-" He got no further, War had punched him so hard across the face that dad had been forced into human form. I slapped a hand across my mouth, supressing my scream of surprise. My brother is going to die.

"That was for my mother." War's voice had taken on one of extreme resentment towards his father and I noticed that his eyes were glowing a brilliant blue, they were completely blue. "I deserved that, but if you ever do that again, there will be consequences." Dad told him as he reassumed his godly form. Oh my god, I have never witnessed a stare off so intense. War broke away first out of respect for our father, he'd gotten his anger out of the way and now he was ready to get to training. I just had to wait for the rest of the Guardians to come home. That's it, I'll take War there now.

"War, we've got a mission, right now. Father, weapons please. War what's your weapons of choice?" I asked him. He considered it for a moment before he shrugged. "I've had no training, I do not know. Just give me something heavy and I guess I can do some damage with it." He shrugged again. Dad chuckled heartily, he liked War clearly. He snapped his fingers and a second later. Out of thin air a celestial bronze maul appeared. It was almost as big as me, but it would no doubt be much heavier. "I said heavy." He gave dad an estranged look. Father was shocked by this but laughed anyway, he clicked his fingers twice and eventually the maul weighed enough for War to use both hands. He swung it around with speed that was incredible. He must have been the strongest mortal alive.

"Hmm, but what if I need to slice something." He muttered to himself. Dad heard this and facilitated. "I have a gift for you War, just a little something to help you along the way, let's call it a small apology for your mother." He said with a sigh. A sleek black greatsword that was bigger than me popped into reality with a soft whump. The sword had a shape that changed and the hilt had many skulls on it. The inside of the blade oozed a black liquid that flowed over the blades body but never dripped off of it. He held one in each hand and had a few practise swings. He was happy with them for the most part. "Can you make this one heavier?" He asked, holding up the greatsword.

Dad nodded and clicked both of his fingers. The greatsword was finally perfect for him. The maul had been given a sleek black the same as the sword, with skulls on it as well. "They are very special weapons War, and I suspect that only you may be able to wield them both. The sword is Chaos, and the maul is Order."

"As in the primordial god and goddess?" He asked dad who simply nodded. Our greeting was over and we had other things to attend to. I teleported us to where I could feel Percy's presence. They were finally at the doors of Death and we're waiting for us and Dante.


	24. A Rest Earned

**Chapter 24 - A Rest Earned**

**Third Person POV**

Clarisse teleported in with a giant. "Clarisse there's a hyperborean standing right next to you." Percy pointed out sarcastically. Taz had actually put a hand on his weapon instinctively. He was almost eight feet tall and it unnerved them completely.

"Well no, actually this is War. Do we have to wait for Dante or can we not simply ask Lady Artemis very politely if she can lend a hand?" Clarisse asked. Percy sighed and closed his eyes once more. He hated it when he had to do this, just because he was on best terms with the moon goddess and he knew that she wouldn't decline him.

The instant that he opened his eyes, a silver flash of light signalled them that Artemis had arrived. She eyed up War with an extreme distaste, but it was only because Percy had asked her that she'd agreed, no doubt.

A few minutes later and the process was finished. Artemis pulled a knife out and stabbed him in the arm. 'To test' to see if it worked, or that's what she'd said. She really despised War because of how he treated women, which wasn't entirely fair. He treated women with respect, but it was just that he had no problems with going around having sex with random women and never seeing them again.

"Hmm, they're light again." War grunted when he held out his weapons. They hadn't become light, he had just been given powers beyond his comprehension and the weight of the weapons was no longer even recognizable to him. He swung the greatsword around so fast that it became a blur. They were all amazed by his strength. Except Artemis, she'd left the moment she'd pulled her knife from his arm.

"Feel that?" War asked them. They all nodded. They were eager to see how he would deal with various different enemies. The doors of death parted slightly form inside the small temple they were located in. Out came a man that looked very much the same as War but he was nowhere near as big. The muscles bulged none the less.

"SON OF ZEUS!" Kratos roared and pointed at Taz who cursed. War didn't wait around for their private battle. He let go of the maul that created a crater in the ground when it dropped. He spun his body and launched Chaos straight into Kratos. The blade spun and flew directly towards the god of Strength who only just managed to avoid being sliced by the blade. The glare that Kratos gave them was ice cold.

"That's a pretty impressive throwing arm he's got there." Percy said as casually as Percy could. Kratos pulled the great sword out of the door after some effort and launched it back. War, now clad in his Guardian armour stretched out one arm and caught it by the blade effortlessly. Kratos was in some serious trouble against four Guardians

* * *

On the other sides of the doors of Death, things weren't quite going to plan. Hercules had been waiting for Dante and Thalia. Thalia's armour had reformed to be more protective and Dante hadn't said a word to her. The closer they got to the doors the stronger they became. The more monster that destroyed, the closer they got. It was just down to Dante and Hercules now. Dante swiped but Hercules caught his arms and swung his straight into the doors. The ichor splashed against it and the force cracked the door straight open. Thalia and Hercules followed him out just before the doors closed once again.

* * *

Taz stepped forwards to make his attack but then something slammed against the doors from the other side, then from a small opening, Dante was thrown far, way past Kratos. Thalia followed from the air. Hercules took up mantle right next to Kratos.

"Ah, shit's about to get real." Dante said as he surveyed the situation. "Who the fuck is that?" He asked, pointing at War. "Long story, watch out!" Percy shouted. He turned and narrowly avoided a spear sticking him through from Kratos' angry face. He gave him an uppercut and retreated back to the other Guardians. "There's six of us now. Triam?" He asked them, desperate to take these two gods down. Taz and Thalia took to the skies, firing arrows at Kratos and Hercules, slowly whittling them down. Dante, Percy and Clarisse all converged on Hercules who was laughing at the arrows and swords. War stuck Chaos in the ground and laid Order out flat. He took on Kratos head on with his hands. The spear struck his armour and bounded off, another strike was sent his way but War grabbed the spear and snapped it between his fingers.

Kratos and War began furiously sending punches at each other. War gave off a series of jabs and uppercuts that could have shattered concrete. After what seemed like an eternity of fighting, an arrow finally got past Hercules' defences and hit him in the eye, blinding him. The minor god swayed backwards cursing filthy phrases. Dante took his opportunity and sliced both of his knives through Hercules' neck. The head fell and rolled before he exploded into gold dust that floated towards the sky. They looked around just in time to see War break Kratos' neck and separate the head with his bare hands. After all that struggle, the immediate threat from their rivals had passed.

The Guardians all materialized on the outside of Artemis' camp, where they had been allowed to stay. Percy led the group in. Most of the hunters growled viciously at War as he walked through. He had respect for these women and made a point of not talking to any of them. There were four tents laid out for the Guardians, all of them were bigger on the inside, a small gift from Hephaestus yet again. It was meant to symbolize a tent for each demi-god, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon and Ares, but that didn't go to plan. As soon as they neared their tents, War took one to himself, Clarisse and Taz took another, Percy went inside the Poseidon tent and Thalia pushed Dante into the Hades tent and quickly followed him in before zipping it up and locking it from the inside.

* * *

**So yeah, another chapter up guys! I tried to speed things up more here. Let me know what you thought about the scene where things started to heat up between Dante and Thalia, if you guys like it I'll write more ;)**


	25. Complications

**Chapter 25 – Complications**

**Dante POV**

OW, what the hell was that? I turned around just in time to see Thalia closing my tent and locking it from the inside. What does she think she's doing? She's approaching my animalistic side. She must be aware of what I'm like, surely!? "What are you doing?" I asked her, not caring to alter my voice. These tents were built to become a solitude to the outside world, and that's exactly what it was. She waved her hand and most of her amour disappeared, the only remaining parts were barely covering her body. She'd been released from her oath of eternal chastity for only a few days and already she was acting like THIS!? She pushed me backwards so hard that I ended up tripping on something on the ground. She followed me down, not allowing me to recover at all. She straddled me and quickly bit my ear.

"This is what you want isn't it?" She asked seductively. She has no idea of what she's doing to me right now. Or maybe she does and she's just really that good. I struggled to think of a way to get myself out of this, but then I started thinking whether or not I wanted to get out of this. Maybe she's right and this is what I want.

"I uh, yes, well yes and no. Look it's a bit tough to think when you're doing that." I explained in broken English. She laughed before looking innocent, "Doing what?" She asked before she moved down to my neck and bit down hard. She knew exactly what I was into. "Για λόγους σκατά Thalia." I cursed in a deadpan. I'm almost certain that she understood what I'd said. My Greek had improved tenfold since becoming a Guardian, so I naturally assumed that hers had as well.

"Aww is little Dante unsure of what to do in a situation like this?" She giggled as she ran a hand up my shirt. My armour had disappeared the moment I got back to the camp. I'd replaced it with simple jeans and a red t shirt. She stopped as she pushed her finger against my well-developed chest. My face burned a violent shade of red. "I am not answering that." I looked away from her. At this point she'd pinned my arms down. I'd been fighting way too much for me to be able to physically resist her. She giggled again before tracing her finger downwards. She stopped around my abs before carrying on. "So you're telling me that you don't want this? That's not the impression I got from Tartarus." She faked a groan of disappointment as she thumbed the waistline of my jeans. My breath caught in my lungs and I had to make a hasty decision. I shadow travelled over a few feet which resulted in Thalia falling to the ground. "Zeus dammit Dante!" She shouted as she fisted the earth. I gave her a smirk, "Who said playing hard to get isn't fun?" I asked sarcastically before shadowing out of there before her lightning bolt could hit me.

Thalia bolted down right next to me, I completely forgot that she could do that. I paled. "Ah shit." I cursed plainly. She tackled me and before we hit the ground I had opened it up. We travelled straight through it and out the other side. When he ended up falling through the ground and up at another point we were about to hit the ground once more but Thalia took us higher with a bolt of lightning that placed us right above a sea. She used her incredibly powerful wings to keep us aloft. I stood on the boots of her solid armour. "You're going a long way to make a point." I told her with an incredulous look. "Shut up and kiss me." She grabbed my collar and pulled me in closely. I did as she asked and before long I heard the familiar sound of lightning thundering against the clouds and when I opened my eyes I was back inside my tent, laying on my black bed with Thalia on top of me. I kissed her back and a moment later I felt her tongue wrapping around mine.

**Thalia POV**

I have seriously had enough of him teasing me. It was one thing to do that to me back in Tartarus, but to shadow travel right out of my hands and confess that he's playing games with me is another! "Zeus Dammit Dante!" I exclaimed, thumping my fist against the ground. He smirked, oh that is it! I threw a lightning bolt at him but it narrowly missed him as he travelled. I will get what I want Dante. I teleported right next to him and tackled him down, we fell through the ground then through the sky. Before I knew it we were back in his tent and on his bed. Pushing my head against his I felt the exact moment that he'd given up. His tongue explored my mouth fully. His hands glided down my back and around my wings before he finally rested on my butt. "Dante!" Percy roared from outside the tents. I moaned so deeply not because of Dante, but because we were interrupted yet again.

I heard him growling, I heard him physically growling. He got up and before his body was straight all of his armour had been put on. "I swear if that dragon has come back I'm going to have its head as a trophy." I heard him grumble as we got ready to see what was important enough for Percy to sound so angry about. I sat on the bed and contemplated waiting for him to come back but when Percy called for me and War as well, I knew that I wasn't going to get the satisfaction that I'd been wanting for so long. I'd just have to suck it up and wait for another opportunity.


	26. Disturbed Again

**Chapter 26 - Disturbed Again**

**Third Person POV**

Percy had been quietly meditating for a few minutes now before he felt Dante's empathic powers going crazy. Still focusing his mind he searched around for any other life forms inside the Hades tent to make sure that Dante wasn't in any danger. He could sense Thalia and that was when he realized what was going on. She must have finally cornered him about it. 'Good luck Dante'. Percy told him empathically with an added chuckle. He got no response from his cousin. He heard a lightning bolt then the ground shook. He heard another lightning bolt, and then there was silence. "What the-" He turned around because of a huge disturbance in his mental abilities. He was training his mind like he did every day. He felt around the camp just sensing people but when a power so incredible came through the door, he was forced to clutch his head. He'd been searching too intensely, so naturally when Artemis came in, it threw him off balance.

"Percy are you OK?" She asked, hastening her steps towards him. He waved it off, "Yeah, I'm fine." He said, retracting his reach and grabbing a bottle of water from the table. Any longer around her and he would have burned up. He dripped the water all over his head and it instantly washed his headache away.

Artemis shifted slightly at that, "You don't sound fine. What is it?" She asked, pushing further. He sighed slightly, he really didn't want to have to say it to her because of how awkward things already were, the truth was practically ammunition for her. He knew that she wouldn't give up though so he sighed and told her, "I was stretching my mind, reaching out and sensing the power of everyone in the camp, but then you walked in and… You sent my mind crazy." He forced himself to face away from her when he said that, he refused to let her see the blush that was rampaging over his face.

"Percy… Come here." She said at last. Percy turned his head towards her hesitantly. Either he was getting a kiss or he was getting turned into a jackalope. It was as much a risk as it was a reward, he decided that if he disobeyed a god she'd turn him into a jackalope anyway. He walked over to her slowly, locking eyes with her and stood there, a second later he gave her that same warm smile that had contributed to her being able to see past him being a man. It was beautiful and she just wanted to kiss it all day, but she couldn't, they would eventually be caught out by her hunters who would no doubt chase him to the ends of the earth. She wasn't even sure if her hunters would be capable of hunting him, these Guardians… They were a whole new animal. Especially a few in particular.

She slapped him, she slapped him really hard. "Ow." He said calmly. She doubted that it had actually physically hurt him at all. "That's for being so damn perfect Percy Jackson!" She was about to storm out when he quickly grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. He picked her up and kissed her deeply and passionately. She didn't resist and how could she? He was everything that she needed. She melted straight into the kiss only making it worse for herself, but luckily before it could go anywhere, one of the hunters screamed "Attack!". She breathed a sigh of relief as Percy bolted straight out there to protect her hunters. "Dammit you perfect man." She cursed under her breathe and followed him.

"Dante!" Percy shouted out. He knew that Taz was with Clarisse so he used his empathic power to get him without disturbing both of them. It was OK though as they had both heard the warning from the hunter who had alerted the entire campsite. Dante came out of his tent looking thoroughly pissed off. "Thalia! War!" Percy concluded. Soon enough the Guardians and the Hunters were all on high alert. War came out of his tent. His mask in his hand and a chisel in the other, he had been carving his mask. He put it on and it made him look terrifying. The edges were all carved to make him look like the personification of death itself. Snapping his fingers the chisel disappeared and Order, his gigantic maul appeared in one hand happily hanging over his shoulder. He nodded at Percy, signifying that he was ready to fight. He truly was a man of few words. Thalia brought out her sword and hammer, wiggling the pieces of her armour until her weapons had been formed.

Dante sighed and went over to her and took the hammer out of her hands. He made a movement with it that she didn't even think was possible and a moment later the hammer turned into the maul and then formed a shield. A shield that seemed eerily familiar. It was her Aegis shield. She smiled evilly after feeling whole once again. He assessed the situation. Standard monsters but they were in groups. "Empousa, Telekines, Pit Scorpions. Oh look, it's doctor Thorn!" Dante exclaimed excitedly before his face turned to fury. "I'm going to murder that son of a bitch." He marched forwards before Taz got in his way.

"Wait, can you feel that? We've got two titans to worry about. Feels like Krios and Koios." Taz nodded. Dante rolled his neck and gave of a satisfied groan when it clicked with a sharp sound. "I'm gonna kill me a manticore." Dante's excitement had only increased. It seemed that he was about to fulfil an old grudge and everyone became aware of his blood red aura that was almost overpowering. He pulled out his knives and ran forwards, much to the dissatisfaction of Percy and Taz.

"Men. They always make things difficult." Thalia moaned as she chased after him, using her wings to take to the skies and pick off as many of the monsters as she could. Artemis nudged Percy at Thalia's comment. He rolled his eyes before turning his body into a wave and knocking down many foes. The woodlands that they were in was crawling with monsters. He didn't understand how they could have gotten so close without being detected. Artemis joined her hunters in shooting at the monsters and occasionally Dante. Taz joined Thalia in smiting them from the sky. Clarisse turned to say something to war but he wasn't there. She focused until she found his signature energy and teleported to him. There he was fighting bare handed against a group of four colchis bulls and the nemean lion. Clarisse could tell that for once he had a genuine smile on his face. Ares wasn't wrong when he said that War would be right at home in the Guardians, he was loving every minute of it. Clarisse got her spear out and her shield and joined the action straight away.


	27. The Broken Rock

**Chapter 27 – Dante's Fall**

Dante sliced and dashed his way through enemies, still high from the amount of adrenaline surging through his ichor. He was stuck in the red mist and he was loving every minute of it, right up until the point where he got his with the flat of a blade that didn't look completely like celestial bronze. He had been hit so hard that he was flung straight into a tree. Groaning as he picked himself up off of the floor, he looked around. "Great. It's you again." He said, pointing directly at Krios who just laughed. Krios made the motion of an uppercut that sent out a wave of air that soon turned into a bright orange ram's head that hit Dante dead on, smashing him through the tree completely.

"OW. That one hurt." He said through gritted teeth. Dante opened up his helmet to spit the golded ichor out of his mouth but regretted doing so instantly. Another Titan brought their foot straight up into Dante's face, pushing him over towards Krios. Dante recovered quickly and surveyed his situation. It was Koios and he had a VERY big stygian iron sword. The sword was easily as big as Dante himself. The titan looked very happy with the situation.

'I'm going to die.' Dante thought to himself. He pulled his helmet off completely and dropped it on the ground, surprising Krios. "What's this? Has the Guardian given up already?" He teased. Dante smirked and let out a little laugh as his chest plate began to glow brightly with the symbol of Hades. Dante knew for a fact that he couldn't kill them both, not before that huge sword ripped him apart, or Krios' ram stuck him through. He laughed jovially, if he was going down, then he was taking one of them with him. He reached out to Thalia's mind. 'What's about to happen can't be stopped. I wanted to tell you earlier but never got the chance. Thalia I love you'. A single tear dropped down his cheek accompanied by a look of sadness in his eye.

"What's wrong demi-god, realized that you're going to die?" Koios taunted him. Dante suddenly became aware that they didn't know the Guardians were immortal. He smirked once again. "No, I'm just sad that I won't be able to kill both of you." He jumped and the pitchfork materialized in mid-air. "NO!" He heard Thalia scream as the Guardians all got there in time to watch him throw the pitchfork straight at Krios' head, just to be run through by the stygian iron sword. He was hung weakly in mid-air by the six foot sword sticking through his stomach. Taz decapitated Koios instantly. Infuriated by the act that had felled their cousin.

The weight of the sword drove Dante to the ground. The rest of the monsters dissipated, in fear of what the Guardians would do. Thalia went to run over to Dante but Taz stopped her with an estranged look on his face. Dante's body began to rise, surrounded by a strange purple and black mist that within seconds had engulfed his body. Dante vanished and nothing else happened. No one knew what had just happened. Sure two of the elder titans had been vanquished, but so had Dante, a greater Guardian. He should have turned to white dust in order to reform himself, but that wasn't what happened.

**Artemis POV**

I chased after the Guardians, they could all feel something that was unique to them. Thalia had shouted something but I only caught onto Dante's name. They all sprinted through the woods to where they could feel his energy. I was right behind them but as we got to the clearing I saw something that wrenched at my heart. Dante jumped and launched his most powerful attack, turning Krios the titan into dust, but he got a sword nearly the size of War, stick him through by Krios' brother, Koios. Taz killed the titan with ease, fuelled by anger. What happened next surprised us all, his body rose into mid-air and vanished in a flash of purple and black. I truly did not know what had happened. I felt sorry for my ex-lieutenant. It was obvious that she had feeling for him and I could tell even now that there was something even deeper going on, she was no longer tied to her oath of chastity so maybe that was it.

Even I felt like a small part of me had died after witnessing him being killed. I tried to reassure Thalia, I tried. I told her that he would reform in no time, but she saw right through what I tried to tell her. We all know that when an immortal dies they turn to dust, just like gods, and just like monsters and titans, but he didn't turn to dust. Percy looked grave, they couldn't feel his soul anymore which they could do even with reforming immortals. They didn't know what was happening but something told me that they didn't quite think that he was dead. It was a longshot to hope for, but it didn't tell us where he'd gone in the first place. I called for a meeting and we all went straight up to Olympus. This wasn't going to go down well. I teleported straight to my throne and the other gods that weren't already there did the exact same. "Call them." Zeus was almost whispering. Hades looked furious. I only just noticed Nico kneeling by his throne, Hades must have thought it appropriate to bring him along.

One by one the Guardians flashed in to the throne room and began to relay their story. War as ever, said nothing and looked menacing to most of the gods. He kept his mask on which since the last time I'd seen him, he'd carved some scary looking skull onto it. Ares looked so proud with his two strongest children in an elite godly fighting force where they took up one third of the population. Hopefully there were still six Guardians. I don't know how I'd be able to help my sister if Dante died on us now.


	28. Time Gone Past

**Chapter 28 - Time Gone Past**

**Third Person POV**

Taz and Percy began to explain to the council exactly what had happened and they all tried to figure out what might have gone on but not even Hades had any idea where his son might be. Nico looked horrified at the prospect of losing his only other family he had. Bianca was gone and now Dante was too, he didn't know if he could live with that.

"Are there any powers that you have that depend on him?" Zeus asked them with a slight glint in his eye. Of course he was talking about the Triam but they weren't so sure they could do it this soon anyway. The Triam was the last thing that Dante pulled off before being stabbed with the stygian iron sword.

"We do but it was the last thing Dante pulled off and it does automatically call on all three of us, we're too exhausted from it to do it so soon." Taz explained. They couldn't know this soon plus it was a possibility that they couldn't do it when they weren't on the same plains. They did consider this to be unlikely however as Percy had called for a Triam when Dante was in the depths of Tartarus and it had worked. Zeus grunted and Hestia summoned some ambrosia and nectar. If the two of them were strong enough to simply will the Triam to be done from Dante's side then it would. The two greater Guardians didn't waste any time, they powered themselves up then and there. Zeus flashed everyone outside once he finally realized that they were about to unleash a Triam right in the middle of the throne room. Apollo clicked his fingers and a target hovered above Olympus some fifty feet. That way, no matter where Dante's pitchfork came from, it wouldn't damage anything. They unleashed the Triam, each of their weapons sticking to it. They waited and waited and waited but after ten minutes of nothing they realized that nothing was going to happen.

"If he's not conscious, will his body still perform the Triam?" Hades asked, unaware that the Guardians even had this ability to begin with. Taz nodded "Yes of course-" He opened his mouth but stopped short. Their weapons had faded with an unsuccessful Triam. They no longer knew if Dante was alive, it seemed that if the Triam faded with just two weapons present, that they were capable of doing it with only the two of the greater Guardians alive. The mood was depressing for the rest of the day and they truly did not know what to do with themselves now that Dante was gone. They conducted a search using each and every godly power available to them. It wasn't something that could easily be done but after quite some time, they couldn't find them.

**Four months later.**

**Percy POV**

I ran furiously along the shoreline, knowing full well that he was right behind me, I couldn't take myself too far in land though because that other fiery bastard was hunting me from there. I couldn't call for backup because I could see Taz was having his own problems up in the sky. How could this have happened? Ever since Dante died everything has turned into shit right in front of us. Shit hitting the fan doesn't even compare. Someone has gathered up all of the manure on Earth and flung it into a collassal turbine! I've got Oceanus trying to kill me from the seas, all of his forces stoping my father from sending help. I've got Hyperion trampling through the woods trying to spear me down. They've been chasing me and Taz down for the past couple of days. Or maybe we've been running for longer than that. Pretty soon we're just going to have to fight them instead of running. Thalia, Clarisse and War are all still up on Olympus but soon they're going to notice our absence and come looking. I can only hope that they get to us before the others do.

A storm has been raging over us for days, but it's not just a storm, it HAD to be Typhon. Aranost knew where to look and who to recruit. He'd gotten the most powerful titans and deities to come hunting us. His minor god stooge didn't end well last time so he decided to up his game. I have no doubts that he would have awoken Kronos if it was within his power to do so. I can only hope that it isn't.

I heard three flashes behind me and I felt instantly better. I nodded to my Guardians. "Hyperion is about a mile behind me in the forests. You take care of him and I'll take care of Oceanus. Taz is busy fighting with Typhon. As soon as Hyperion and Oceanus are dealt with it's going to take all of us to finish Typhon!" I roared at them. They all nodded and I ran along the shore and leaped into the sea. I felt instantly revitalised but at the same time, I felt what the next couple of hours were going to feel like. My armour was specially designed not to restrict my movements in the water. I darted forwards, using my power to make me go even faster. I had my blade at the ready. It had been nearly a day since the last Triam we had tried and in my own domain things would only be that much more powerful. I powered myself up. The glow from the Triam shone brightly and illuminated the sea for as far as I could see. Oceanus was right on top of me.

"Jackson! That dragon didn't have to try too hard to convince me. He told me that you would be the first one I could kill and that once I'd help topple Olympus, the seas would be mine to rule over!" Oceanus garbled.

"Oh fuck off!" I shoved the Trident through his body but it wasn't over. That was the work that weakened him to the strength needed for us to be on par. It would take another Triam to take him down now. Taz's lightning bolt struck the water and I willed it to spread out, but unfortunately Oceanus' powers over the water were as strong as mine and the electrical built up only got stronger as the two of us fought for power. The seas turned violent and I heard my fellow Guardians pleading me to end it, they were facing the consequences. It was a deadlocked battle however and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I felt a hum and a flash of silver shook my world. An arrow the size of Zeus' master bolt hit Oceanus dead on, I took control and the lightning bolt from Taz's Triam shook Oceanus to the very core, destroying his body. The seas calmed instantly. I felt another presence in my domain. A bubble formed around the unconscious form of Artemis.

I splashed a bit of water on her and willed it to wake her. "What was that?" I asked dumbfounded. She explained that she'd turned herself into and arrow, Apollo had turned himself into a bow, and Zeus had fired her from the heavens just to save me. It was a godsend, literally. I took her to the surface and told her to go. "Why?" she moaned at me, bringing up the fact that she'd just saved me. "Because we've still got Hyperion to deal with AND Typhon. Do your falling from heaven thing if it can help us but do NOT put yourself in danger. I'll never forgive you if you do." I told her. I had to be plain about it, I knew that the gods were watching and what we had was still a secret kept by us. The only people that knew were Thalia, Annabeth, Taz and Dante before he… Died.

Hyperion, I'm going to murder you the most painful way I know how for what you did to my cousin.


	29. The Fallen Angel

**Chapter 29 – The Fallen Angel**

**Percy POV… Still**

Artemis finally agreed to go back to safety. I know that she's a god and everything but we are Guardians, this is our sole purpose in life, to protect mortals, demi-gods and gods alike, and that's what I'm doing, protecting not only a god, but Artemis, I would have always protected her, even if it meant giving up my life. I gripped Anaklusmos and charged after the rest of my Guardians. I hated the thought of turning my back on Taz, but I knew that Hyperion was the next threat. I found them all fighting. Hyperion had been hunting me alone, not any monsters in sight, nor were there any near at all, we would have been able to have felt their presence. Thalia managed to momentarily stun Hyperion when Aegis came out of sleeping. Clarisse studded her spear straight through Hyperion's foot. War was using both Chaos and Order to absolutely demolish the titan's defences. Hyperion pulled his mask up and a beam of intense light took War off his feet and slammed him into a tree.

He was angry now. I've seen war angry on very few occasions since becoming a Guardian and the other time he was, he nearly blew up the moon. Long story short we found out that he can fire a laser like energy out of his body that feeds off of anger and hatred. It was a deadly weapon but it also threatened to take over him every time he used it. Now was one of those times. He casually threw Order into the air and twisted his body a few times, building up the momentum he needed. He jumped and launched Chaos into Hyperion's leg, jamming it in place. When Order came back down, War grabbed the maul and launched it directly into the Titan's head. The next thing that happened was War glowed a violent red and exploded outwards in an aura that just made me want to punch someone, but that was exactly what the attack did to people, it made them aggressive. Hyperion was downed and nearly out completely. But he decided to leave me with one parting gift, one that I would never forgive.

"I heard about Dante. A real shame, he had some potential. It's be a terrible burden if the same thing happened to your other cousin." Hyperion laughed with a rising level of terrible power. I instinctively shielded Thalia with my own body before Hyperion crackled again, "Not her Percy." He cooed sarcastically. He twisted and threw his golden sword at where Taz had been fighting with Typhon. "HIM!" Hyperion growled. The fiery golden sword shrunk and shot through the air like a speeding bullet, impaling my cousin straight through the heart. He fell slowly towards the sea, his body engulfed in a purple and black mist. He never hit the water. Hyperion has just killed the only other greater Guardian.

"Prepare to die." I whispered.

**Thalia POV**

Hyperion just threw a bolt at Taz. I could feel Clarisse's heart shatter. Her emotions were playing so hard that they were almost visible. I couldn't tell who was more impacted by this, her or Percy. Percy's face hardened. Hyperion began laughing.

"Prepare to die." Percy whispered. His voice sent a shiver down my spine. He waved War away who was about to kill Hyperion. Percy willed water to cover Hyperion's legs and arms and froze them in place, immobilizing the titan. His fist glowed sea green and he thrust it through the titans face and exploded it outwards in a bloody show of dust. Typhon had been converging on them since Taz had fallen from the sky. War had taken his sister back to Olympus, she wouldn't be able to fight in her condition. She'd just seen the man she loved die. I knew personally what she was going through. Oh Dante why did you have to do this to me? Me and Percy were the only ones left to fight Typhon. Artemis flashed in a silver glow to Percy's side. Typical closet lovers. I joke, that would never happen no matter how deep their feelings ran for each other, as if Artemis ever broke her oath she would surely be claimed by the river Styx. I feel so sorry for her but happy because Percy knows this and is happy with abstinence. I don't know why they keep it to themselves, but it is not my place to tell them otherwise. Apollo flashed in a glow of gold right next to me and flashed his own cheeky grin.

"Eyes to yourself sun god." I told him bluntly. Percy barely noticed the gods coming one by one. Zeus, then Ares, Poseidon and even Hades. War came lastly. All of the most powerful combatants of Olympus had shown up.

"TYPHON YOU SHALL PAY!" Zeus roared so loud that even with my fortitude, it hurt my ears. The sky turned an even darker shade. The sky bellowed and raged. Typhon laughed, as if challenging the lot of us. They had just killed my brother. My blood was boiling yet Percy was calm. His head hung low. The seas were calm and I couldn't see why, Poseidon was furious, but then I understood. Percy had gone to that special place once again, it was a place in his mind where despite everything they had to face, he and Artemis could be together. Something snapped, it wasn't enough to calm him. He rose up on a platform of water. Everyone was in awe at the power he held, the entire sea raged up to meet Typhon. It had engulfed him entirely and dragged him to the bottom of the sea. Everyone turned to Poseidon expectantly to know what was happened. He paled slightly. Such a power inside his domain was taking its toll on him. There was a huge explosion under the water and after a few minutes Percy rose up out of it still raging. Typhon was dead, Hyperion was dead and no amount of dead monsters was about to calm him down.

"Percy!" Artemis shouted. She could only think of one way to stop his seemingly eternal rage.

"Brother, I cannot calm him, he is too strong even for me!" Poseidon shouted over the raging storm that had come upon them Percy stood screaming atop a pillar of water. A solid column that had risen at his will. It was one of thousands that they could see.

"Percy stop this!" Artemis shouted again. The storm seemed to lessen for a brief moment as he heard this but then his rage picked up again.

"I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT!" We heard him cry from atop the water. Come on kelp head, don't do this to us, we need you! I looked at Lady Artemis and she knew what my look was for. Most of the Olympians had returned to watch from the safety of Olympus. Artemis teleported herself up to the column and in full view of everyone, she kissed Percy dead on the lips. Everyone watched in both confusion and shock as the water quickly returned to a calm state. It took only a matter of seconds before Percy was stood in silence on the surface of the water. Artemis in his arms, her head buried in his chest. He teleported over to the shore. Apollo looked the most stunned, but he trusted his sister's judgement. He put a hand on her shoulder. Without saying a word, Percy fell to his knees and tears flowed freely down his cheeks. "I'm the only one left." He whimpered quietly. I gave the gods a look that they all understood. They all departed along with War. I couldn't help Percy any longer. I had my own mourning to do. Taz…


	30. Dead Water

**Chapter 30 - Dead Water**

**Third Person POV**

Percy didn't claim to have defeated Typhon, he didn't claim that he had the strength to, but what he did have was an insane amount of anger that all exploded in on him in one singular moment. All he had to do was force Typhon under the ocean where he summoned a tunnel to Tartarus just like his father had done when they saved Olympus nearly two years ago. It was a tremendous amount of force. Percy sat blankly in the pavilion of Olympus on one of the tables. Artemis was sat beside it trying to talk to him but he couldn't. He couldn't even face Clarisse or Thalia after this. He of course blamed himself for what happened. How could he have been so careless? "Percy?" Artemis prodded him. That got his attention. "Hmm?" He asked, looking up into her silver eyes.

"How did you do it?" She asked him, "How did you defeat Typhon single handily? It took every god and goddess of Olympus three days to do what you did in a minute. He considered this for a moment, "I didn't defeat him like I defeated the others. I momentarily overwhelmed him and sent him back to Tartarus physically. No dust, no death. I opened up a tunnel and forced him down it. I don't really know how other than that. I just thought that…" He stopped and looked away a small blush formed on his face. Artemis knew that he didn't want to say whatever it was with so many gods around. The people he trusted with absolutely everything had been reduced to herself, Thalia and Annabeth. They were suddenly inside Artemis' tent. A plain and simple cot was laid out before them. She pulled him down onto it and tried to get him to open up to her.

"You thought what?" She asked him. She cupped his chin and forced him to look dead into her eyes. Such sadness and all she could think of was how naturally beautiful he had become with the powers the Guardians had. She could stare into those eyes all day and not care about a thing in the world. "I went to my happy place, I was calm and I thought it was going to work, but Typhon was inside my mind, he showed me the moments in my life that had taken me to my lowest. He showed me Dante's death, he brought back the fresh moments of Taz being struck by the golden sword, and then…" A single tear fought its way out of his eye.

Artemis tightened her grip on his hand. "He envisioned you dead at my feet while I was helpless to do anything." The tear literally burned right off his cheek and his eyes glowed green, the Triam symbol glowed faintly above his striped green and black shirt. It quickly died out, he wasn't naturally strong enough to summon the Triam after all he'd been through on his own, it was simply too much. Artemis couldn't believe it. She laid back and pulled his lips into hers. He'd defeated Typhon on his own because the titan had taunted him with her death. She realized exactly how much she loved him and never wanted to be anywhere else. He kissed back with a fiery passion before he stopped and looked back into her beautiful silver eyes. "I love you." He said with every last bit of passion he had. He heart tightened in her chest, she could tell that he meant it. Thousands of years and she could finally say the same thing to someone. She truly loved Percy Jackson and she wanted him to know it. Percy's head shot up instantly. "What is it?" She asked worriedly. He didn't even answer. He teleported them straight to Olympus.

"The dragons are coming. Assemble the gods!" He roared, his battle tone setting in immediately. He called the other three Guardians and they all suited up. Within ten minutes every god was aware of the situation and they were ready to fight like Typhon was at their front door, which he wasn't, because of Percy's explosion of anger. The dragon swooped in quickly, they obviously weren't affected by having fight their way through the lift in the empire state building which at first Percy was extremely disappointed in because they would have been a lot easier to kill but also because he would have found it infinitely amusing to see Aranost try to climb out of that small elevator. Just as he was thinking that, the black dragon landed right in front of Percy and Artemis. The gods had all split up because of the intense number of attacking dragons. Their army had no giants because the Guardians had vanquished them in Greece. Their army had no titans because they were all killed at the expense of Dante. The army had no support from Oceanus or Typhon because they had been killed in exchange for Taz's life. Now Percy was going to offset the score for good. Aranost was going to pay.

"You killed my cousins. Now I'm going to make your head a trophy on my wall!" Percy roared in bravado. Artemis mumbled quietly, "Sounds like something Dante would say." She told him. Percy chuckled dryly.

"It was, that was what he said the day he…" Percy didn't finish and Artemis didn't expect him to. The fight was well underway and Percy was furious. Water splashed everywhere. Hestia specifically summoned many jugs around the pavilion where Percy was to be fighting. It was working to his advantage especially when Aranost sprayed that destructive green fire. Percy was getting sick of having to constantly avoid it every couple of seconds, but the dragon's defence was simply too good to finish him off for good. There was too many other dragons all flying around for any backup to come their way. "Let's see how you fight when I kill your whore!" The dragon roared. Green fire was inches away from turning Artemis into a pile of ash. Artemis saw this but couldn't do anything she expected death to come her way. "Percy, I love you!" She shouted and closed her eyes. Percy wasn't about to let a taunt by Typhon come true. He teleported right in front of the dragon's spraying maw and sliced upwards. The dragon's head rolled to a stop but the fire had eaten through ninety percent of his armour and damaged his body too much.

Artemis opened her eyes and saw the dead dragon. Aranost bubbled into acid and simply melted into nothing. No dust at all. She saw Percy's charred form on the ground. "PERCY!" She screamed. Tears were already falling down her face when she came over. She tried her best to heal him but she couldn't do anything about it. She summoned Apollo who was apparently enjoying himself. "Come get some you overgrown lizard! Huh? Oh gods!" Apollo cursed when he noticed what was going on. "Stop." Percy groaned weakly. Apollo never got to lay a finger on him. A black and purple mist swirled around Percy's body and within the blink of an eye Percy had vanished from them. With their experience, the only man she had ever loved had just died in her arms. She let out a cry that shook Olympus itself. The dragons were started to retreat now but nothing would keep them from Artemis' eternal fury now.

**The Aftermath**

Olympus was slowly recovering from the attack. Artemis and her hunters all mourned the death's of the greater Guardians. The remaining Guardians took up mantle as the new greater Guardians and were given the powers of their predecessors. They each had to contribute towards having a new recruit. They would not be able to Triam however as it was an ability unique to the three sons of the big three. Artemis cried for a week straight about the death of Percy. Thalia came to the camp every day to mourn with her. Zeus had commanded that each Guardian's sacrifice be remembered and used to teach younger demi-gods of bravery and selflessness. Their sacrifices had saved Olympus from certain destruction countless times and they'd built a legacy that would stand throughout time in the form of the Guardians.

**In A Place Far Away From Olympus**

Dante opened his eyes and rubbed them. They were sore, really sore, as if he'd overslept by half a year. He gazed up in the white room to notice that he was being watched. The room was dimly lit but obviously well kept. He stared at the woman who was sitting in the chair that faced him. It would have been unnerving had the last thought in his mind not been about him being stabbed through the chest. Stabbed through the chest? "Am I dead?" He asked casually, not even bothering to ask who the beautiful woman in front of him was. She had amazing black hair that was as dark as the night sky and more. It ran to the length of her knees and it looked pristine. Annoying to wash, but pristine.

"Far from it Dante. You're more alive that you've ever been in your entire life." She responded just as casually as he had. He snorted slightly. "That's funny because literally a moment ago I had a sword nearly as big as my body stuck through my chest. I was expecting to just reform in ten or so years but that clearly hasn't happened, or I would be standing on Olympus." He pointed out, getting up from the hospital like bed. He stood proudly and flexed his many muscled. Looking down he realized that he only had some plain white thick track suit bottoms on. It worked for him and he shrugged and turned back to the beautiful woman had decided to stand. "Let's start again shall we? My name is Chaos." She smiled as she extended her hand.

* * *

**I'm sorry to that one reviewer from chapter 29, I guess their deaths was kind of sudden wasn't it? Oh well, if you're still here and you're reading this note, then obviously they're not dead ;) Right, that's thirty chapters done and my fingers hurt now. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. As promised in one of the earlier chapters, if I get 50 followers, I'll draw the Guardians. So I will, but I'm no artist so you'll have to give me some time on that. A huge thanks to Blackjackxx who was the complete inspiration for this story. He/She is the brilliant mind behind Angel of Chaos. As always, I love all of you, please review :)**


	31. The Plains Of Chaos

**Chapter 31 – The Plains Of Chaos**

"Where are we?" Dante asked her casually. She had told him that she hated it when her people treated her like a queen to which he simply retorted that she was. Looking around Dante realized that this plain of existence was actually a desert of some kind with a hugely advanced city sprawled out. It was beautiful, there was even a market down in the streets below. Dante reasoned that he must have been in some kind of palace.

"Where indeed. This is my home, my realm that I created after everything else. I have no real name for it as it's my perfection. I guess you can just call this place Chaos' realm? I never really got that far." She mumbled as they walked around the palace walls that encircled the city and the streets.

"Chaos, why did you bring me here?" Dante stopped. Everything that she'd shown him had been great and everything but being the son of Hades he knew full well that this wasn't where he was going once he died. That and the fact that reforming takes a great amount of time in a solitude like a prison. She stopped a looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I wish to have a legacy, that is all. I am the most powerful deity in the universe. All of my power cannot be simply channelled into one being. It was take the three most capable fighters in all of my realms. I need the greater Guardians to become the princes of the universe when I'm gone." She told him. The way Dante's mind worked was when he couldn't process everything at once, his mind would just skip ahead completely. The only thing he could think about when she told him was the Queen song of the same name.

"And here we are, we're the princes of the universe!" He whistled jovially. Chaos sighed, she knew exactly how things worked. She'd done her homework and she truly believed that stood before her was one of her heirs. He quickly stopped and turned, "Wait, does that mean that it's incredibly bad if I find you attractive?" He gave her the cautious eye. She just laughed for a moment, "Honey, I'm billions of years older than you." She had a glint in her eye.

"So what would my job be if I was a prince of the universe, and how would I be able to hold onto my title? I'm only a demi-god. I'm a Guardian, sure but that changes nothing. I do not have a fraction of the power that you do." Dante brought up the point and Chaos sighed. "I guess I was going to have to start sooner or later." She sighed and held her hand up against his face. He immediately assumed a combat position out of habit but he would have been too slow anyway. She let off a blast that engulfed him completely in a swirling purple and white light. His body rose of the ground briefly before dropping once more.

"What was that!?" He almost demanded and answer but she expected him to be slightly shook up because of it. Chaos looked at him in surprise. She'd bestowed as much power as she could on him and as it turned out he was able to take way more than she'd ever imagined. Could he be? No, she dismissed the idea that he was the one capable of taking her mantle completely. She'd have to try it out when she had all three of the Guardians in her grasp. She wasn't going to take them unfairly, she'd wait for them to come to her. It would only be a matter of time now that they were down to two. "I gave you as much of my power as you can handle. You can pretty much do anything you can think off now. There's too much awesome stuff to list off." She said excitedly. Dante grinned.

"So you could give me the power to turn Super Saiyan?" He grinned. Chaos grunted immaturely. "There's no such thing. I can make it so that you have a transformation that spikes your hair and turns it blonde and probably gives you a strength and speed boost." Chaos offered. Dante jumped at the chance immediately "Do it! Do it, do it, do it, DO IT!" He squealed. She waved her hand once more and claimed it to be done. Dante then realized that he had no idea how to even begin to turn into his new found addiction. He just imagined himself doing it and he suddenly knew. He groaned and found that his body had felt a lot lighter than it previously had. Dante had just successfully gotten the creator of the universe to turn him into a super Saiyan. He grinned internally.

"So what is your plan?" Dante got back to the serious business. Chaos frowned grimly. "I await your cousins. The three of you shall rule the universe in my name. I am going to personally train you for a long period of time. You cannot return to Earth unless I tell you that it is absolutely necessary, and even then I would ask you to keep your identity a secret. Can you promise me this?" She asked him. He bowed deeply to her disaste. She could tell that he was going to purposely do it as often as possible. "Yes, my liege." He bowed so low that she couldn't see his huge grin, but she knew it was there.

"On to the training then. It may be many years before your cousins are bested, so you should train while you can, it will easily help to pass the time. You may want to acquaint yourself with my other elite fighters, all of which will be under your and your cousin's leadership." Chaos smiled briefly before she disappeared leaving Dante standing over the city. He was the second most powerful being in the universe yet he couldn't return to Thalia. A single tear rolled down his cheek when he thought of her.


	32. A Public Beating

**Chapter 32 – A Public Beating**

**Four months after Dante's death.**

**Dante POV**

I woke up like I did every other day. Chaos had taught me how to sue a few of my different Chaotic powers but not all of them, not by a long shot. She made me live in the house that I'd created. She gave me a plot of land and told me to go wild. I would work on the small house whenever I wasn't vigorously training here in Chaos' realm. I'd learned a lot in the four months that I've been here. It turns out that Chaos's twin sister, Order was just a myth. Where such a myth could originate from is beyond me, but there was no other. There isn't an evil source trapped by every primordial god and goddess. For the first time in my life, there isn't an evil presence, threatening the safety of my life. Sometimes I had to question exactly what it was that I was training myself and an army for but Chaos never answered my direct questions about that. She believes that something is coming, I can tell.

I walked out of my room that was comprised of plain walls. Chaos had insisted that I paint them black and purple but I dismissed the suggestion because unlike my little brother, I'm not the gothic kind. I kept them a plain white, which after the initial eye sore, they became quite nice. In my room was simply a bed and then weapons. Weapons laid everywhere. My prized weapon remained the bow that Nico had given me. He liked to call it shadow strike. But I just referred to it as MY bow. I willed it to fly into my hands and left the room.

I couldn't remember what today was so I don't actually know what the training is going to be, hopefully it's going to be hand to hand combat. My instructor is this really hot immortal girl that is not really my tutor anymore because in four months I have surpassed her four thousand years of experience. Besides, hand to hand is some intense stuff and it gives me a reason to get out my chiselled body. The sparring ring is in the city centre and it's ALWAYS busy in the city centre, lots of girls about that always point and stare at me. Oh boy I love the attention. I snapped my fingers and slowly my bow vanished. I'd be able to call upon it if we were doing any archery, but I doubt it.

I arrived at the training grounds, but to my surprise there were easily a thousand people standing around and watching intently. Standing in the ring were two beautiful women. Reilly Thoris, my tutor who was at least four thousand and won't tell me what planet she came from, and Chaos. I stood at the edge of the arena with the many other citizens wondering what was going on.

"Ah, it seems that the prince has finally awoken." Chaos spoke softly but she amplified her voice to be loud enough for everyone to hear clearly. The crowd laughed at their Queen. I sighed. Great, she's set this whole thing up to make a spectacle of my training.

"What are you up to Chaos?" I asked, my own voice automatically became audible to everyone. At this point, Reilly had stalked to the side slightly and began to look through the many weapons in the racks. She was picking one specific to my fighting style, I realized that she's trying to take me down.

"In the four months that you've been here, you have far surpassed everyone else in power and fighting prowess. It's time that these people see exactly who is going to lead them. Today you will fight with me and Reilly in front of all of these people." Chaos smiled evilly. I grunted slightly and tilted my head to the side. I'll just let my signature personality take this into a whole different route. "OK then, let me get more comfortable." I grinned.

Chaos and Reilly frowned, they both knew exactly what I was doing. I ripped my tight t-shirt from my body. My muscles were relaxed under my skin, but the day was still young and the sun was bearing down with a suddenly impossible heat. I realized that the battle had already begun. I willed the sun to return to normal and Chaos frowned. I'd already bested her first move. Now she was going to actually fight with me. I turned into my near super Saiyan state, of which I really need a name for because it's really not a super Saiyan. I'd have to be a manga character for that to happen. I did it more for theatricality than anything else.

Reilly poised the spear she'd chosen in the attacking position and a moment later thirty ethereal spears all struck the dirt I'd been standing at. I rushed over to her and sent a kick to the back of her leg and took her down in one easy motion. Out of sight of the crowd she stroked a hand over my crotch which sent my guard crazy. She took her opportunity and gave me an uppercut that sent me flying, literally, straight into Chaos' fist. The punch from Chaos sent my body straight back down into the ground, creating a crater from the force of impact. "Ow." I commented calmly. I realized that I'd been hit so hard that the 'crater' I was in was actually a caved in piece of the underground from the city. I'd been punched through the ground.

I tensed and powered up and let out an agonising scream as I succeeded in looking badass. I forced my way through the rocks in one swift movement, punching Reilly in the ribs in the process, she tumbled backwards as if she'd just been hit by a thousand bulldozers. Chaos was my next target. She aimed a series of quick punches at me but I dodged them all and responded with a roundhouse kick to the legs that send her off balance. Instead of punching and finishing the fight I caught her in my arms. "A decisive victory don't you think, my Queen?" I asked her, my voice powerful for the crowd. My energy output had been chronic and my body was sweating from this so called 'warm up.'

Chaos smiled as I laid her out on how own feet once again. With a wave of her hand the crowd went back to their business and daily lives. Obviously a few people stuck around to watch but it wasn't anywhere near the thousands that were here before. "You're progressing faster than I could ever have wished for. I have a mission for you that needs to be tended to right away. Meet me in the throne room." She vanished. Great, a mission.


	33. Intervention

**Chapter 33 – Intervention**

**The Day Taz Dies**

**Third Person POV**

Dante entered the throne room and even thought the only other being in there was Chaos herself, he walked right up to her sat on her throne and kneeled in front of it until she pouted and told him to get up.

"This mission," She began hesitantly, "Is on Earth." She bit her lip. Had he heard her wrong? On Earth; the first thing she had told him when he got there was that he was never to go back there unless she sent him and if she did it would have to be a terrible situation to do so.

"What's come up?" He asked her. She hesitated again. "Promise me right now that you will not act rashly when I tell you." She ordered him. He knew that he wasn't going to like it in the slightest so he agreed and created a steel bar with the click of his fingers. "Taz has been killed by Hyperion." She said slowly. Dante's eyes burned bright with a purple and blood red flame much like the eyes of Ares. The bar he'd bee clutching had been bent at a perfect right angel. Multiple times Chaos had straightened the bar out and strengthened it, but Dante's silent rage was just too much for it.

"The dragons are flying for Olympus as we speak. I have retried Taz just like I took you. I need you to go to Olympus, disguised and offer assistance. The dragons will be too much for them to handle alone, but you need not use much of your power. What I am to ask you next will be tricky for you to hear but know that I only ask you this with good intentions." She spoke softly and her voice calmed him down. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"I need you to purposely put Percy in the situation where it will be his life or Artemis'. I need all three of you're here in my realm to successfully make you my princes. Please Dante, I need you to do this for me. Taz is safe like I promised, Percy will be too." She assured him. In his time here Dante had come to trust Chaos with everything he had left to lose and then more. He trusted her more than he'd ever trusted anyone, he dared say she was more trusted than Annabeth.

"OK. You ask much of me, but I will do this if I have your word that Percy will recover here." He looked up at her eyes and Chaos noticed that he had sadness welling up inside of him. He knew the effect that it was going to have on Artemis, the effect that Taz's death would have had on Clarisse. This was going to hurt everyone, but there had to be all three greater Guardians.

He agreed to go and Chaos opened up a portal for him that would take him to Olympus directly. "Oh one more thing before you go." She waved her hand across the air. It shimmered all around him and suddenly he wore all black clothes not dissimilar to the fictitious machinations of a ninja except his face was completely covered and he had armour over the clothes, all of it was black. He would not be allowed to use his bow or people would recognize him. He opted for keeping his hood height above his face and enjoyed the small amount of freedom that he would be allowed once back on his home world.

"For the sake of your identity, you are to go by the name Broken Rock. It is a representation of who you were in your past life. Taz will be the Fallen Angel and Percy will become Dead Water." Chaos' words were all rather melodramatic but Dante agreed none the less, she'd always done things for the best of interest. Dante stepped through the portal and all hell broke loose, he was on Olympus, flanked by two other of Chaos' elite. One was the athletic form of Reilly, who he'd come to see as a friend on the planet that praised him. The other warrior he didn't recognize. They followed him as he walked up to the throne room. It seemed that judging by the godly power that was emanating from inside, that there was currently a council meeting. Dante smirked before throwing his hands out in front of him and walking in like he owned the place, which as a prince of the universe, he kind of did.

"Who dares to interrupt my council?" Zeus roared. Dante considered making some snide comment but quickly dismissed it. I represent the order of Chaos. My name should not be whispered through these halls so you may know me as the Broken Rock." Dante told them. He kneeled in front of Zeus who seemed rather pleased that this stranger knew authority.

"What is it that Chaos could want with us?" Zeus questioned him. His voice still held hostility in it, but it was softer than it had been before. Dante considered this, it was after all a good question but he could hardly turn around and say the death of Percy Jackson!

"These dragons you are fighting. They are stronger than any threat you've ever faced before. Chaos has sent us to protect you." He told them. His words earned him many rounds of laughter from the council.

"We have Percy Jackson! He defeated Typhon on his own within a matter of minutes!" Ares boomed at Dante. "You would have us believe that we need protection, how would you even help against a dragon attack!?" Ares shouted, infuriated at the mere suggestion that he wasn't capable enough to defend Olympus. Dante smirked. Reilly placed an arm on his shoulder, suggesting that he be rational.

"I guess the first thing I would do." Dante grew to the size of a god. "Would be to grab the dragon by its slithery neck and rip its head from its body." He told the god of war who had muted himself and plastered his backside to his throne.

"Any other questions?" Dante looked around, pleased with what he had achieved. He left the council meeting moments after and resumed his human form but frowned, there was no seats in the pavilion built for humans. Dante was no god, but he certainly had the powers of one. With a wave of his hand Reilly and the other warrior grew to the size of gods and he followed suit. They all sat at the table and patiently waited for the dragons to come. They knew they were close, but it was all a matter of time.


	34. The Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter 34 – The Calm Before The Storm**

"So you're telling me that I stand alone with this?" Dante asked, looking from Reilly to the warrior next to her. Reilly gave off an uncomfortable silence. She knew that Dante was powerful, but she also trusted Chaos' above all else. Reilly could see why Dante would dislike doing this. He wanted to go full god mode and obliterate all of the dragons and just keep Percy inside the blast radius slightly, but that would be obvious and the gods would hunt him down mercilessly. Reilly knew that Dante himself might survive, but she didn't feel like testing her own personal fortitude against his master bolt.

"You're not alone, but I think we should just play this one out and see where we get." Reilly responded. The other warrior had been silent the entire time so Dante didn't even bother trying to get an individual answer out of him. He asked before and was met with a shrug. Dante sighed heavily. He didn't know how he was to pull this one off. He could feel the stares from the Olympians. They clearly did not trust him and he didn't really care. Maybe when the demi-gods all arrived he would pull out his shadow bow and leave them questioning. 'Do NOT do that Dante.' He felt Chaos' presence in his mind, scolding him for his thoughts. He sighed again and threw his hands up. He created a small speaker system and quietly played Led Zeppelin out of it. Reilly often asked him a lot of questions about his life on Earth but he wasn't normal so he couldn't really answer it properly, but one thing he did know about was good music.

The silent warrior spoke for the first time. "Tune." He nodded cheerfully. Dante was gobsmacked. "Did he just talk?" He turned to Reilly, expecting an answer to his rhetorical question. She opened her mouth to say something but was stopped short by the piercing roar of a dragon swooping down towards Olympus. The gods were all assembling and he got up from his table and began to do his own thing. He ran straight around a corner without looking and straight into Annabeth who had been running at full force. They were both knocked to the ground. Part of Dante's shirt rode up partially, revealing the scorpion tattoo that glowed a dull black. Annabeth only saw part of it due to her being hazy from the knock. He quickly covered it and helped her to her feet. She saw behind the darkness of the hood a red of fiery passionate eyes that just looked so familiar to her, but she merely thanked him for helping her up and ran off to assist Athena. Dante wanted to do the same thing but he had to show up a certain god of war.

"Reilly and my third in command. Do whatever you must to assist the Olympians. I will complete my mission alone." He said gravely. They both nodded and parted ways. It didn't take long for Dante to find Ares smiting a small dragon and ripping it apart from his spear and shield. Dante snapped his fingers and summoned two dagger like weapons, one was curved forwards for the most slicing ability but the other was jagged and retracted in the opposite direction. Dante ran and jumped straight past Ares and onto a dragon that was flying past spraying everything with its fire. Dante hacked and sliced at the dragon, bringing it down in a matter of seconds. He jumped from one dragon to another before it turned to dust. This one he tried to control by pulling on the horns. It had a small amount of control but it was amusing him none the less and he flicked and pulled and the dragons head before he navigated his way around Olympus in his search for Percy and Artemis.

He soon found them but he also found Aranost. It looked like he wouldn't have to do anything after all. The dragon was definitely a formidable foe. Dante found a perch and summoned his crossbow. He snapped his fingers and the entire weapon lit itself on fire. He fired bolt after bolt, mercilessly taking down the random enemies that had decided to accompany the dragons. No titans, no giants, just dragons and a fair few Empousa. Bolt after bolt struck his enemies, but he then felt a tremendous power. Using his own powers to slow time around him so that he could take in the situation he noticed that Aranost had unleashed a furious attack that was bound to decimate Artemis. Dante reinforced Percy just enough so that he could survive the fire long enough to kill the dragon. He released his grip on time and the fire spread over Percy and avoided Artemis. The dragon's head had been split open in a wide arc and it began to bubble into acid. Percy lay on the ground, dying. He was the luckiest of them as he got to tell Artemis that he loved her, the others were just taken at random. Dante watched painfully for a moment before a world of weight was lifted from his shoulders and the purple mist engulfed Percy and his body vanished. Dante told Reilly that it was done. Now came the difficult part of leaving Olympus. He so badly wanted to turn around and tell them that they would return but he was afraid of what Chaos might do if he directly disobeyed her. Zeus ordered a meeting.

"Today we have saved Olympus but we have also lost the last of our greater Guardians. It is a sad day for us all." Zeus sighed. Poseidon and Artemis weren't paying attention. They were both in their own little worlds of mourning, and who could blame them.

"First we lost Dante. From there we knew that things weren't looking well. It took a great strength to finally defeat him. Then we lost my own son, Taz. The Guardians were on their last legs with the losses of those two. But with Percy gone I see no way the Guardians can live on. You have none of their abilities." Zeus said, pointing towards the only Guardians left. I felt terrible for them.

"If I might be so bold as to offer my assistance here?" Dante spoke up from behind his shroud. Zeus gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him speak. "I am a being of great power. I can give these Guardians the title of the new greater Guardians with all of the powers that the previous three heroes all had." Dante offered. They all promptly agreed. It was because of the Guardians that Olympus had been saved from destruction, it was only fair that they be honoured with a legacy. Dante had to focus his power but a few moments later each of the Guardians began to glow harmoniously and everyone could feel the power emanating off of them. The Guardians were given a shared palace on Olympus for their sacrifice, and more so to honour the previous Guardians. Dante and his warrior took their leave, what with no longer being needed on Olympus. Now he could go back and see his cousins. He gave a quick glance at Thalia as they were leaving and she must have felt some feeling of recognition when she saw the glow of his red eyes, but they made haste and were gone before she could say anything.


	35. Son Of The Creator?

**Chapter 35 – Son Of The Creator?**

Chaos couldn't have been more pleased with the result of the battle at Olympus. Chaos now had all three Guardians, the beings she had personally chosen over all else to become the heirs to the universe, and yet she could feel that there was something missing, she could sense it in Dante's heart, there was one close to him, close to all of them that their happiness depended on. The portal that Chaos had set up for Dante and Reilly plus their third silent warrior who apparently had a soft spot for Led Zeppelin, had taken them back to Chaos' home, which from Chaos telling Dante that she needed a name for, he had developed many over the months he'd been here. His favourite of course was the Land of Confusion.

"My Lady." Dante realized that he was in the throne room, no longer flanked by the other two warriors. He kneeled in front of her, much to her displeasure. He most enjoyed the fact that he was on a banterish friend terms with the creator of the universe, that and the fact that she was ridiculously attractive.

"I swear if you keep doing that Dante, I'm going to find some way to punish you that you won't enjoy. I'll tell Thalia that you've been alive all this time." Chaos threatened with a smirk. Dante suddenly realized the wrath he would have to face from Thalia if he ever did go back. Chaos realized that she'd hit a soft spot. "I'm sorry, but we're not ready for that yet. But soon, soon there will be a time." She reassured him. He nodded neutrally. He trusted her but he didn't have to like it.

"What of my cousins?" He asked her, swiftly changing the subject. I have done the same process on them that I have done on you; that being said, neither of them have awoken from their regeneration. You yourself took almost a week. I have a mission for you if you wish to take your mind off of things?" She told him slyly. He never could resist a good mission straight from Chaos, she always had the best things for him to do.

"Sure." He said, feeling brighter about the situation already. "I need you to go back to Earth, but wait! I do not need you to be on Olympus or around any gods. There is a mortal that I am interested in." She told him. The moment he'd come back to Chaos' plains, his disguise had vanished and he was wearing jeans, combat boots and an Iron Maiden t-shirt. "Umm, OK? What's so special about this mortal?" He asked, caught off guard but intrigued none the less.

"Well that's just it. He's hardly mortal by any means except I cannot figure out what else he could be. There are no more deities aside from the Greek gods, but with the recent development of Aranost, I haven't ruled it out completely that there are other beings of power. The best thing I can understand is that he is Nephilim. Do you know what a Nephilim is?" She asked him curiously. He walked a little closer and summoned himself a comfortable chair.

"I thought that a Nephilim was the offspring of an angel and a demon, but that's not possible because angels don't… You procreated with a mortal didn't you?" He asked, pointing at Chaos who had adopted a somewhat vicious blush that was spreading across her face. "I had once, many years ago on a planet called Arterius, but that doesn't explain how this mortal would appear here and now." Chaos blushed even deeper. Dante thought about it for a moment.

"I think it's plausible. What if the man or woman or whatever it was that caught your immortal eye, wasn't actually who you thought they were and in fact was some sort of demonic being. They could

have found their way to Earth and let the child be raised as human." Dante offered up. Chaos quickly changed the subject. "Whatever he is, whether he's a part of my blood or not, it's up to you to find him. I've used almost every resource I have and the only thing I can find out is that he goes by the name, Ten. No family, he was dropped off at an Orphanage at a very young age, cliché much, but that's how the story goes. He's twenty two now, so your age, but the thing is, he's slipped under the noses of your gods, haven't detected his power, nor does he ever use them." Chaos told him. Dante considered this for a while.

"Where can I find him?" Dante considered the immense power that a possible son of Chaos could have, and what kind of person he would be. He hoped that the guy would have inherited the same laid back attitude that Chaos had, after all, if it truly turned out that way, then he would be the new heir to Chaos. Unless she turned around and said that she still intended to keep him and the others all as immortal Princes of the universe. That didn't sound too bad to Dante.

"He lives in quite a nice apartment in California. He's seemingly made a nice life for himself at only twenty." Chaos grinned. So she'd obviously used her powers to send some money his way, how generous. My father didn't do much like that. I remember after we saved Olympus from Kronos he once took me above Tartarus and let me throw spears into the hole, that was kinda fun, until Nico nearly fell in, that was less fun.

"He'll either be at his home, or he'll be you know, elsewhere." Chaos winked. So he was basically like a younger Zeus, just going around and screwing relentlessly. Oh well. "Fine. Open up a portal and I shall depart. Can I bring Reilly? She's always asking me questions about Earth but the only time I got to take her there, we were on strict business to Olympus." I asked Chaos. She thought about it for a moment before agreeing. Before I walked into the portal. Reilly, with her shoulder length, straight brown hair ran into the room squealing like a school girl. She jumped into me and I was forced to hold her up in the hug. "Thank you!" She beamed at me, I was a bit shocked and taken back. "It's fine." I laughed and we walked through the portal. Straight to an alleyway in California. Nice, now to go and find this guy.


	36. Awake

**Chapter 36 - Awake**

Percy suddenly woke with a sharp pain in his abdomen. Was he reformed already? It had only felt like a couple of hours. He opened his eyes drearily and noticed an angelic figure standing above him. He quickly muttered something about how it wasn't funny that people were dressing up as angels and pretending that he was at Cristian heaven. He rubbed his eyed and was met with the familiar face of Taz. "You died! I watched you die!" Percy jolted from the bed he was in and nearly fell off of it the other side. Percy noticed for the first time that neither of them were wearing any Guardian armour. Taz had an exasperated look on his face. A sudden wave of calming swept over Percy's body and he noticed a woman walk through the door. She had creamy white skin almost as nice as Artemis'. Artemis! What was he thinking? Was she alright?

"Artemis is fine Percy." The woman who had just walking in the door told him. He didn't know why, but he trusted her and felt a lot better once she had said that. "Didn't you have long hair yesterday?" Taz turned towards her. The woman had a small spikey fringe that crept along the right side of her face and the back and sides of her hair were almost shaven, but it was definitely there.

"Am I not allowed to change my hairstyle from time to time? It's been about a thousand years since I've had it this short." She responded to him. Sitting down in a black leather chair that overlooked three identical beds. Each bed had clearly been used recently but Percy didn't care about that.

"One thousand years, so you're clearly immortal. Where are we?" He asked, turning towards Taz for answers on the last part. Chaos grinned and told them her story, right up until the part about Dante being on Olympus. Percy slowly started to piece things together. "So you're the one behind this purple mist stuff that's stopped us from reforming?" He asked her. She nodded. He was still in a bit of shock at the whole princes of the universe. He could hear Taz muttering a Queen song. Taz noticed what Percy was grinning at. "Dammit Dante." He cursed quietly before they both looked back at Chaos. "Are we allowed to go back to Olympus?" Taz asked her. She frowned a deep sadness. She really wanted them to be happy but now just wasn't the time.

"Look, you're all here now. I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen when Dante gets back with Reilly and hopefully that mortal." Chaos told them. She didn't have time to explain anything else. She could feel the evil presence whose conscience had been locked at the edge of the ever expanding universe for billions of years. The conscious was getting stronger. Chaos didn't know how long they had until it was free. Until _she_ was free.

Percy and Taz were told about their powers in detail and about their identities when they had to go back to Earth before their time. They were then given the option to do whatever they wanted. They wanted to talk alone, so they walked along the rooftops of the lower districts of the city. "I want to go back Percy." Taz said at last, breaking the silence that had become of them. Percy sighed, he saw no way that they could go back, they would be disobeying Chaos' direct orders. "So do I. Maybe we can Iris message someone when we're in disguise and, I don't know, hint at our survival." He suggested. 'We can talk about that soon.' Percy heard a voice in his head. He knew that it was Chaos. She didn't want to keep them caged away any more than they wanted to be away from Earth.

Percy quickly turned to Taz, "Wanna test these new powers out? What say we put a permanent whoopee cushion on Apollo's throne?" He asked his cousin who immediately burst into a fit of laughter. Taz sobered up from his laughter and looked around. The city was a perfect playground for near god like beings who had the power to do anything they could think of. "This looks like a great workout route, follow my lead. Tag!" Taz laughed jovially as he pushed Percy back a few feet and crunched his legs up. He expected to only lift himself off the ground a tiny bit, enough for his powerful wings to take flight but he no longer had them, instead his muscles felt like they were constricting themselves around each other and when he let the build-up release he had bounded at least one hundred feet into the air. He let out a real roar of freedom as he caught hold of a nearby ledge and pulled himself up. Percy was right behind him but it seemed that he wasn't as confident in the air as Taz was. Naturally, water was his area of expertise but Taz expected that with these new powers, that even Poseidon wouldn't slow him down in the water. Taz suddenly had a brilliant idea. He would create a palace for himself in the sky. No doubt Percy would do the same. It would almost be like they were the gods of this realm. Taz thought about it and suddenly he materialized on top of the tower he was on. Percy did the same, having noticed Taz's expression suddenly change.

"What'cha doin'?" He asked half heartedly. The game had stopped after only a few seconds. Taz lifted his hands up and bit by bit a castle began to construct itself out of rocks in the desert. "Oh you know, just building myself a home. I'm also going to lift it into the sky and will it to stay there. You should do the same. I've heard that Dante never bothered and he only has a simple room." Taz cooed smoothly. Percy brightened up at the idea but still couldn't feel at home. He thought about doing it later and instead went to try and find Chaos.


	37. Finding Ten

**Chapter 37 – Finding Ten**

Dante and Reilly finally found the address to the guy's house, but not after Dante gave Reilly a quick once over of Earth and some of the things that people did. He was seeing a whole different side to his trainer. He brought them both an ice-cream from a mortal shop before they both decided to continue with their mission. Walking up to the address that he'd been given from Chaos he knocked on the door. From inside he heard a series of things crashing and a deep guttural moan from inside before the door finally creaked open. There standing in the doorway was a man just as big as Dante, but even more muscled than Taz. He had literally no fat on his body and the muscles looked like they struggled to move under his tight pale skin. The man looked groggily down at them before realizing that he was completely naked. Without saying anything he held his finger up in the air and shut the door. A moment later he returned with some track suit bottoms on. "Er, sorry about that. I've had a… strange night." He said, slowing down on the words strange, and night.

"As I can imagine. We're here to talk to you about something that isn't going to be easy to explain. Can we come in?" Dante asked in his smoothest voice. When he was on missions, he always felt like the rest of his problems would go away naturally. He could see the sun blaring down outside the window in the back of the man's apartment and he was suddenly reminded of his blessing of Apollo. He had to do something quickly or they would soon realize who he was and where he was. He had the power to govern his own body surely? He placed his hand on the tattoo and felt a hot pulsing sensation while he waited for the man in front of them to respond. He groaned slightly before looking back into the apartment. "Yeah, give me five minutes." He said before shutting the door, leaving Dante and Reilly standing in the hallway. Reilly noticed the pained expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" Was all she asked. She knew that he could take care of himself but if it was someone else doing that to him, then she could be targeted by it as well. "Removing my blessing from Apollo. I forgot that he'll be able to sense me if he tries whenever I'm under the son." Dante groaned before looking back at his tattoo. He could feel that the blessing was gone, but the tribal scorpion still remained. Reilly nodded. She'd been told partial bits and pieces about the gods of this world. Chaos thought it was necessary if she was ever to go on a mission to this planet.

"Did you feel that?" Reilly suddenly asked Dante with an annoyed expression. He shook his head. He didn't know what she was talking about. She focused for a moment, "Your cousins are awake. They're 'testing' their powers. Jackasses." Reilly grunted. She had two new recruits to train now. She knew that it was just going to be a ball of fun having all three of them together.

The door swung wide open and it looked like a completely different scene. The widows were open, letting in a breeze of freshly mown grass. The place was clean and the blinds weren't obstructing the light from entering the home. They were invited in and the man went to put on a tshirt. "So what exactly did you say this was about?" He asked them casually. Sitting down on one of the couches and turning his music system down so that it was nothing more than ambient background noise.

"What do you know off the greek gods?" Dante began. The man's eyes narrowed instantly. Greek gods? This was a weird way to convert someone. He thought to himself. "Only the basics. What are you getting at?" He sat up straight. Dante shifted a little.

"Well, this is tough to explain. But the gods are real. The gods are exactly like they were in all of those myths and legends, with sex drives that rival porn stars. They go around and have children every few centuries." Dante began explaining.

"If you're going to try and convince me that I'm the son of a god, then you've had just as many narcotics last night as I did." He began laughing before seeing their serious expressions. "Wait, you're serious aren't you?" He was almost shocked at their absolute faces.

He sighed immensely. "Have you never wondered about all of those strange things that have happened over the past five to six years?" Dante asked him. California wasn't exactly directly involved with all of the Olympus hype but they would still get some things from time to time.

"So you're telling me that all the crazy shit that's been going has been because of Greek gods? Why here? Surely they would be in Greece?" Dante sighed, he knew that he was going to have to explain Olympus and the western civilization eventually. After they were all done, Ten looked fairly grasped with the situation.

"OK, so who's my godly parent?" He asked at last. "Wait, no, whose your godly parent?" He asked first. Dante looked at him, shocked that he would even care, "Hades, the lord of the underworld." Dante flashed a small smile. "Badass. And yours?" He asked Reilly. She just shrugged, "I am not from Earth. I am not even a demi-god." She responded flatly. His eyes widened when she basically told him about the other planets. "Right so you're the son of Death basically. Can you prove, it, like show me some of your powers or something?" He asked with excitement. Dante thought about it for a moment, he basically had the power to do anything now, but he focused his power and extended his hand in the direction of the backdoor where they had a clear view of the beautiful garden. A moment later many different sized rocks all raised themselves off of the ground before Dante dropped them effortlessly. "Wait, I've got a better one!" Dante jumped up and the floor swallowed him whole. Ten was taken aback by the sudden show of powers. A moment later another hole in the floor opened up and Dante jumped out once more.

"OK, so why have you actually come to me? Because judging by what you've told me, the worst of your worries are over, and I am certainly no warrior. And which of those minor gods is my parent?" He asked. Dante chuckled at that last part, he was definitely telling Chaos that the man had called her a minor god.

"Ten, your godly parent is a primordial. They are beyond the gods of Olympus. And there is one primordial that is beyond the rest of them. That would be your mother, Chaos. She created the universe. And I am telling her that you called her a minor god." Dante continued to explain everything. After a couple of hours Ten was in the knowhow of what everything was and what Dante wanted with him. A prince of the universe? It sounded like a flashy title but his life was getting rather boring and comfy so he decided to go with Dante, not that he'd be able to say no to someone that powerful anyway. They made a quick stop off at Olympus. The minute they arrived, Ten noticed that Dante and Reilly's appearances had changed and they were wearing black armour and were disguised well. Dante waved his hand and Ten was also clothed in the black armour, it fitted nicely and weighed barely anything. "When we are here, you must refer to me as Broken Rock. It will all make sense soon enough." Dante told him. Ten merely nodded. He was in awe at the place. A few gods noticed their presence and soon enough Zeus himself had bolted down in front of them. Dante and Reilly both kneeled, along with Ten who had been pulled by the armour into a kneeling position.

"Zeus. How goes the reconstruction?" Dante asked him. They went over the basis of what had happened on Olympus and Dante gave his sympathies for the death's of the Guardians. Soon Zeus had left and returned to do what it was that he had been doing before. They were about to leave Olympus through a summoned portal back to Chaos' realm but something caught his eye. Annabeth. In her godly form. Dante suddenly remembered what he must have put these people through. His feeling for both Annabeth and Thalia flooded back through him and he was about to go right over to her but Reilly put her hand on his shoulder. "Now is not the time. Let us go before Chaos becomes impatient." Reilly didn't give him a chance to consider this, she pulled both men through the portal. Annabeth looked over and just saw this. She dismissed it as nothing but she swore she saw Dante standing there.


	38. Brave Faces

**Chapter 38 – Brave Faces**

**[A/N: Too much Dante recently? Sorry, I just like writing with stupid people like him. It's a lot of fun.]**

Artemis forced herself to remain indifferent in front of everyone when it came to Guardian related business. They had all seen Artemis and Percy on top of the column of water and knew that she was hurting more than most. The first man to come along in thousands of years and she had truly fallen for him. Thalia tried to comfort her godly sister but found that she couldn't. Even though she had been through all of it, she had been put off guard by the sudden appearance of the strange man that wore all black. He'd called himself the Broken Rock and claimed that he was a prince of the universe. She would have said that it was a load of shit but he teleported straight down to Olympus, no mere mortal would be capable of such a thing. Zeus seemed to believe in the man so Thalia saw no reason that shouldn't. The prince had visited Olympus twice and both times she felt a strange energy, it was almost like the energy that the Guardians gave off, but that wasn't possible because all three of them had been on Olympus both times.

Zeus had called for a meeting and sought the Guardians for help on a matter where the gods had very little jurisdiction. They all teleported into the throne room and kneeled straight away. "As you all know. We have suffered loses but the prince of the universe came back to Olympus. They are preparing for a war they do not know if they can truly win. They have great units of the most capable warriors this universe has ever seen, yet they are fighting a deity that none of us have seen the likes of. I have seen with my own eyes the power that each of these warriors poses and as much as I hate to say it, they wield far more than we believe possible. The prince himself has the power to permanently destroy Typhon for good." There were mutterings around the throne room. Artemis just stared flatly at the floor.

Thalia exchanged a glance with Clarisse who made nothing of it. War as always had chosen to keep his skeletal helmet on, so it was impossible for her to distinguish his expressions. His tone always stayed mono despite what he was saying or how he was truly feeling.

The meetings continued from their usual points of business until there came a topic that got everyone's attention. Poseidon and Artemis included. "We have news on the original Guardians and the heroes of Olympus." Zeus began carefully, noticing the various looks he was getting from the gods and goddesses around him. He noticed Hestia grin widely before he continued. "Athena… Has a theory, that they aren't dead." He slowed to a halt and waited for the outburst. He expected Artemis to be the one to speak up but instead he was met with Hades offering up yet another piece of information.

"I have successfully locked on to their life signatures. They are not in my domain. They are immortal and thus there is no other option other than they have already reformed and are in fact alive." Hades reasoned but they could tell that he wasn't entirely convinced by this.

"I will lead my hunt to find the Guardians. We will not stop until they have been found. This I swear on the Styx." Artemis promised. Thunder boomed overhead and she flashed away from the throne room.

"The Guardians will join the hunt for the immortals; Tazman Mason, Percy Jackson and Dante Krios. We swear it on the Styx." Thalia nodded. She was backed by her two companions who didn't disagree. The thunder rumbled once again and it was done. The Guardians all left Olympus.

"We have two elite groups of hunters searching for our missing immortals. We will have them returned safely, this I promise you. It's the least we can do for them after they've saved Olympus so many times. Dismissed." Zeus thundered and all but himself, Hestia and Poseidon left the throne room. They all gathered near their thrones. "They will be found brother." Zeus put his hand on Poseidon's shoulder. The man meekly nodded.

"I know. Artemis shows us a fondness for Percy that she has sworn an oath to forgo for eternity. I have no doubts that she will endeavour until he is found." Poseidon smiled weakly before turning into a wave and disappearing.

"I can only hope that he is right." Zeus turned to Hestia who had returned to her hearth. She looked up with warmth in her eyes. "They are out there brother, I know it. Whether they will return to us now or in the future is beyond me." Hestia gave off the same weak smile that Poseidon had. It seemed that she too wasn't going to put all of her hopes into it.

* * *

**On Chaos' Realm**

Chaos gathered the three cousins in the throne room, along with Ten and Reilly. "Welcome to my home." She told them. Dante had meet with his cousins before they went to the throne room. It had been rather emotional for them. Four months had passed under the pretence that he was dead. It gave them a sudden reminder of how everyone back on Olympus was feeling for them.

"Flashy place. Er, hi?" Ten said as he walked with the group up to Chaos' throne. "Yes, I realize that this isn't exactly easy for someone to accept. I would like you to start your training as soon as possible. There's a war coming Ten, and you're one of the most powerful warriors this universe has ever seen, even though you do not realize it." Chaos told him. He nodded earnestly and was led away by an instructor that none of the cousins had ever seen. Dante expected Reilly to be the one to teach him as she was to be for them all, but it turned out that Chaos had other plans.

"I have another mission for you four but it needs some explanation. When I explained that I had a child on a planet called Arterius, that was only a half truth. I had twins. The first was Reilly." Reilly shifted nervously as her secret was revealed. Percy had wondered how exactly she was supposed to train the strongest warriors in the universe. It was because she was one of them.

"The second was Ten."

"Wait, Reilly is over three thousand years old. Ten is just twenty four. How does that work?" Taz pointed out. It would have served as an excellent point but Chaos sighed. "They are both over three thousand years old. They are immortals. I had to wipe Ten's memory every decade so that he wasn't suspicious." Chaos bit her lip slightly, realizing how bad it was of her. She dismissed it as being for the greater good.

"Thy get their powers from each other and when fully aware, they will be able to fuse with each other to become stronger than all of us. The problem is that when she was born, Reilly's power was trapped in a soul gem on Arterius. It lies in an ancient temple. Your mission is to recover it. Reilly will know what to do when you have." Chaos didn't say anything else. She turned to smoke and dispersed immediately. "Well, at least we wont have to wear those stupid cloaks anymore. No one on your home planet will recognise us… Princess." Percy taunted her. The cousins laughed and joked about their comrade before they all got suited for their new mission.


	39. Back To Earth

**Chapter 39 – Back To Earth**

**[A/N: Sh*ts about to get real yo.]**

**50 years later…**

"Where is he!?" Percy hissed at his cousins. Taz looked out of the window of their safe house but said nothing. Dante shrugged, knowing _him_ there was bound to be some kind of ridiculous excuse as to why he wasn't there. Just as Percy was about to say something Taz started laughing. They all looked out of the window and rocketing through the sky was an asteroid that was heading straight for the village that they were hiding in.

"You have got to be kidding me." Percy face palmed for a moment.

"Guys he isn't slowing down maybe we should-FUCK!" The asteroid hit their safe house and decimated everything around them except for themselves. The fire and smoke slowly started to part around them revealing what caused the impact. "Ten you royal asshole. I didn't mean aim for US!" Percy shouted at him. The man asteroid groggily climbed out of his crater laughing like a jackass. "Man that was fun, let's do that again." He muttered to himself before Taz turned on him.

"You're lucky I don't have my wings because they would be burning off right now!" He gritted his teeth at the fourth prince, and only true heir to the universe, combined with Reilly that is.

"Whatever, you're fine. So why ARE we here?" He asked as they all stalked along the village path that would lead them to the main city. They were going to wait around for a bit longer but they had no choice. Guards of every type were soon to descend upon the impact site soon enough.

Taz opened his mouth to say something but all of them except for Ten froze on the spot, "No!" Dante shouted in shock.

"That's not possible, they don't know about the other planets!" Percy agreed.

"Who don't know?" Ten asked with his hands on his hips in utter confusion. They weren't making a whole lot of sense. All three of them summoned their cloaks and Ten decided to do the same. "So you guys want to tell me what that was about?" He sighed. They continued walking towards their destination albeit slower.

Percy sighed, "It would appear that in the forty years we've been gone, the Guardians have discovered other planets. I dare say that they may still be trying to find us. Let's just hope that they don't cross our paths." Percy said as he broke into a run. Three streaks of colour blazed across the sky. The Guardians had become incredible strong since they last saw them, but then, so had they. The others soon followed Percy in his run and after a few seconds they all bounded high into the sky. Ten jumped a bit higher than he wanted and accidentally took flight and surpassed the Guardians. The others all swore at his error, now there was no way they would avoid a fight and possibly being discovered. They all bounded along the ground until they reached the city. Crouching in the shadows they formulated a plan.

"Our mission is to kill… The king of this planet." Dante hesitated. Taz and Ten looked at him incredulously but once they saw Percy's stern face they knew that this truly was their mission. "I believe that if the Guardians have discovered these planets then they would be recognized as people with immense power and capable of protecting such a man. If the king has gotten wind of this assassination he would have asked the Guardians to protect him. Let's hope that it's just War, Clarisse and Thalia. It will be hard enough with just them." Dante grunted. They all then agreed upon their plan and activated their cloaks. They had special cloaks each tailored specifically to suit their needs and all of them had the power to turn them invisible. The only thing that would give them away would be their use of their powers, of which they could easily limit themselves to.

They reached the palace doors and just as they expected, there stood the almost eight foot figure of War. They all silently cursed themselves. He has his weapons, Chaos and Order in each hands and it was obvious that in forty years he had only gotten a lot stronger. Ten broke a stick that was lying around and within an instant War's maul was flung straight at Ten's head. He cursed and uncloaked himself. He caught the maul with one hand and only just managed to retain his balance. The princes heard the sound of the other Guardians traveling to their position. Ten empathically told them that he would distract them until the job was done. They agreed that this was the best route now that he had already been discovered.

"You know, it's not very nice to throw something so big at someone, you could really hurt them." Ten told him sarcastically. He stepped out of his partial piece of cover. He was wearing the black armour that he loved so much. The armour itself consisted of a slim fit underplayed made from soft chainmail, the craftsmanship of which would have made Hephaestus jealous. The armour itself was constantly evolving to the wearers needs. It was made complete with a facemask and a shroud that made only their eyes possible to see. Even though the armour was black, it was obvious that Ten had incredible strength underneath it. The doors flung open and out came two more Guardians. "Man these guys are badass." Ten muttered with a genuine respect for them. They were the successors to his fellow princes so it made sense.

"What is going on here?" A fiery eyed woman asked him. From what he'd heard, she must have been Clarisse, Taz's love interest, which could only mean that the other woman was Thalia. She had a hardened look on her face and she seemed to recognize the armour.

"You, identify yourself!" She demanded. He walked forwards and kneeled out of respect. "My name is Ten. I am a prince of the universe." He told them simply before looking up. They locked eyes and it became clear that gears were working away in Thalia's head.

"Is that your real name? The other prince that I met was called Broken Rock. This was going back forty years mind you." She reasoned with him.

"I do not need a code name. I have no reason to hide my identity." Ten realized that he could keep them talking and not have a fight, at least for the moment. "I am one of the four princes of the universe and the only son of the primordial Chaos." He told them. They were shocked and looked at him in a whole new light.

"Where were you born?" Clarisse walked forwards, ever wary because he still held onto the maul.

"Earth, about three thousand years ago. How about you hot stuff?" He asked her. She blushed ever so slightly, a prince of the universe had just called her hotstuff. Ten felt a shimmer in the air and the next moment he was suddenly being backed by the other three princes. "It's done, time to go." They warned him before they all leapt into the air and formed trails of black smoke. That was their way of flying. They couldn't just teleport to Chaos' realm, she had to specifically open up a portal for them, that was the only way to get to her realm and their home.

"Well, looks like we're done here. I hope to see you guys again at some point. And YOU." He said pointing at War. "I REALLY want to fight you at some point, you know, worthy opponent and all of that shit." He laughed before throwing the maul back at him gently.

"The king is dead!" Someone from inside the palace shouted. Ten looked back at the Guardians who were getting ready to chase them. He winked before he too turned into black smoke. He heard bolts of lightning, as if he was actively being chased by someone. He swivelled his body in mid-air so that he could look behind him while he went. He could faintly see a face in the lightning each time it got close. Thalia was chasing him. "Good luck with that, the portal is just over ther-AHH!" He shouted in pain as Thalia's lightning bolt hit him. He splayed his hands and the portal changed destination. If any unauthorised people entered the portal to Chaos' realm, then everything would be killed instantly, and he didn't fancy being decimated. They crashed through the portal and out onto the other side. They broke through the skyline, Thalia beating the shit out of Ten the entire time until they crashed into the sea. "THAT hurt way more than I thought it would." Ten groaned. He wasn't used to the gravity of Earth, it felt so light to him. He tried to swim away but Thalia grabbed him and forced unearthly amounts of electricity through his body causing him to pass out.

Zeus ordered a council meeting with only one Guardian present it seemed strange. By her feet she had a shadowy figure that was face down on the throne room floor. "What is the meaning of this Thalia?" He asked her with power in his voice. She grinned before speaking up. "The so called princes of the universe that helped us repel the dragon attacks forty years ago? Well this is one of them. He says that there are four princes. We were doing a mission protecting a king that thought he was about to be assassinated. It turns out that he did, we failed in that secondary mission, but when we entered the world, we felt the energy of the immortals we've been trying to find for the past forty years!" She exclaimed. This got Artemis' attention the most.

Zeus looked down on the shadowy figure that seemed to be getting up. He nodded at Hades who bound him in a mixture of celestial bronze and imperial gold. The figure grunted with the added weight of the godly shackles. "Hmm." Was all he said as he looked at them. They seem to render normal powers useless. I guess it's a good thing that I am hardly classed as a demi-god them." He muttered. They all heard this clearly. He grunted before snapping out of each and every one off the shackles. "I am not the ones you seek. I apologize that you have gone through all of this effort." He pulled away his shroud and face mask to reveal his naturally handsome face. "But my name is Ten. I am the immortal prince of the universe and son of the primordial Chaos. I am sorry for the losses of your loved ones forty years ago, truly I am. But I cannot help you." He said as he forced the shroud and mask to vanish. The black armour seemed to bubble up around his body every now and then as the gods began to discuss what was said.

"What do you know of these immortals?" Artemis spoke up, desperate to find some clue of where Percy was. Ten grimaced slightly, he saw no easy way out of this. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific. I know only of them based on what this violent warrior just told you. Multiple immortals, forty years ago. It is possible that I know of them, but not with such little information." He told her. He had become excellent at hiding emotions and lying throughout his years in training.

"How do we know you aren't lying boy?" Ares asked, speaking up for the first time. "Ah, you must be the father of those other two warriors. You should be proud." He muttered with a frown.

"Swear it on the river Styx that should you know of whom we speak, you will tell us truthfully?" Zeus asked him. He nodded slightly. "I, Ten, son of Chaos, prince of the universe, swear on the river Styx to answer truthfully. Thunder boomed angrily outside, more so than the usually Styx oath. Ten grinned knowing exactly why. His soul could not so easily be taken by a nymph of the death river. It might be painful should he lie but his soul would remain his own.

"Percy Jackson. Dante Krios. Tazman Manson. Do you know of these immortals?" Poseidon spoke for the first time in about five years. This could be a real chance to recover the lost immortals. Ten never realized that they would be so direct about it. Shit. A drop of sweat left his brow. "No." The second he said that he was struck down by black lightning, a continuous stream off it that seemed to pull a ghostly apparition of himself slowly out of his body. "NO! MY SOUL IS MY OWN. YOU SHALL NOT HAVE IT TODAY STYX!" He shouted in pure determination as the soul began to retract back into his body. The lightning stopped and he fell to his hands and knees on the ground.

"What could this mean?" Zeus turned to Athena for answers. She turned the question around in her head for a moment. "He lied. He literally fought Styx for his soul and won, but he lied. He knows of our heroes. There is now way we can bind him though. He is simply too strong. Should he not wish to tell us, there is no way we can force him." She said with a sadness to her voice.

Ten looked up at that. He felt so bad for them. Or that might just have been because of that damned black lightning. That nymph could really pack a punch. "The immortals you speak of are dead. They died many years ago defending you against an ancient threat. I swear it on the Styx!" He shouted furiously at them. He twisted his words just enough for them to be considered truth, either that or Styx didn't bother trying to get his soul a second time. It was sadly enough for the gods to have heard though. "The powers that Aranost gave those titans enabled them to kill the Guardians for good. Give up your searches. They lie in eternal rest. I am sorry, but that is all there is to it." Ten departed in a trail of black smoke and forced a portal open to Chaos' realm. That was a close enough call for one day.


	40. The Vanguard

**Chapter 40 – The Vanguard**

**[A/N: I know that it's been done before but I LOVE good guy Luke stories, so YES, he is being brought back and yes he will be a major part. Flame me if you wish, my inspiration comes from Blackjackxx and Anaklusmos14.]**

"You very nearly let then find you." Chaos was calm and collected but at the same time she was furious with the prince's recklessness. It could have all been avoided. Ten had since returned through the portal and updated everyone on what had happened, including his little bout with Styx.

"Firstly, they should not have been on Arterius at any time. Secondly they should not have been able to sense our powers. They've gotten a lot stronger. I'm willing to wager that each of the gods are aiding them in finding us. It's been fifty years but they are all immortal. This is exactly what they have dedicated eternity to doing." Percy reasoned. Chaos softened at him. He spoke the truth, she wasn't going to blame them for what happened.

"It is not time yet. We cannot afford to have any more missions near Earth. They will end up finding you out eventually. We need to train. Once you have all fully mastered your powers and fulfilled your potential. I will send you back there." Chaos told them before she tilted her head. "Your individual training is as good as it shall ever be. You five are the Vanguard of my armies and act as my right hand in matters across the universe. You have all served me faithfully for fifty years, even keeping your identities secret from deeply loved ones. I will not let your sacrifices go unrewarded. I am giving each of you the power to recruit one single person each. It doesn't matter where they are, I can bring them here. They will each join the Vanguard but it will be your responsibility to train them for the rest of your time on my realm." Chaos smiled a wry smile before vanishing in a puff of black smoke.

Dante and Taz both sighed at the same time. "I bet twenty drachma that it's going to be another hundred years before we go back." Dante looked at them.

"I've got forty that says we go back in one thousand years." Taz raised the stakes. They both looked at Percy. Percy sighed at that, "Fine, forty as well. I say five hundred." They all made their bets and went their separate ways. Each knew exactly who they were going to recruit but instead off keeping it to themselves, they opted to talk about it and figure out the best way of doing things.

**Olympus. 150 years later.**

Artemis, Poseidon, the greater Guardians and Zeus were having a private meeting. Zeus sat on his throne and looked from face to face wearily. "It's been two hundred years and there hasn't been a single sign that they are anywhere in creation." He paused briefly with hesitation, "It's possible that maybe we should redirect our efforts back to mankind instead of this constant hunt for our sons and loved ones." It hurt him to even say that but he could tell that something had to be done. There was moderate looks of betrayal from those in the room. Thalia and Clarisse would never give up. Those men had proved in ten years what their worth was to each of them. Two hundred years later and their love still burned brightly. Thalia remembered over one hundred and fifty years ago when she captured Chaos' son. He said that there were four princes, but he also mentioned that he was the only son of Chaos, which meant that the other three princes were demi-gods that had risen above and beyond to the attention of the primordial of creation. Who else could it have been? Thalia knew that Ten was withholding something from them and she was determined to find out exactly what that was.

The Guardians along with Artemis refused to give up. Even the hunters had vowed to recover the lost immortals. They had come to love those three like brothers, each and every one of them, and if there was ever exceptions to the men that they all hated, it was those three.

In the past two hundred years, the Guardians practically lived with the hunters, and in two hundred years, they had come to accept each of them as well, but they were still weary of War even two hundred years down the line. They let his do his own thing, which consisted of training, and sleeping. He barely muttered a word to any of them and when he did he was always respectful of them. Artemis and her hunters had established a permanent encampment that had on grown with the ever expanding Guardian corpse. A few years after the disappearance of the original Guardians, Nico and a few other campers had all joined the ranks of the Guardians, some for the immortality and the promise of eternal combat, but other for the sheer purpose of finding those that they once called friends.

"You would have us just give up what we have strived towards for two centuries? I will not, and I doubt that the Guardians will either. This meeting is over." Artemis angrily flashed back to her camp. The Guardians followed. Poseidon said nothing and turned to sea water. Zeus sighed to himself, nothing was ever easy, especially when it involved his children.

**Chaos Realm**

The Vanguard were doing another training routine in the centre of the city. The big arena was packed with spectators. Two different events were taking place. The first round was to be five different teams of two all fighting each other. That was a prince each and a lieutenant. The second round was Percy, Dante and Taz along with their lieutenants against Ten and Reilly who's lieutenants would be helping the other team. Eight against two. But it was THOSE two, it was unfair on Percy's team. Each couple had a corner to prepare themselves for the battle. Their armour was on and they were ready for war. Percy sat with his lieutenant whom he had saved from the depths of Tartarus one hundred and fifty years ago. Dante and Taz never once questioned his choice of recruitment, it was after all his own actions that had saved Olympus from Kronos. Percy looked into the blue eyes of his best friend. "Ready Luke?" He asked, extending his muscular arm. Luke nodded and took it. One hundred and fifty years of the most intense training ever had turned them all into battle hardened warriors, but Luke always got nervous when he had to fight in these team matches. The princes always got WAY too competitive. Luke had much of the same powers that they did, but each of them had something unique. Luke glanced over to where Ten was looking around hungrily. He was certain that Ten's unique gift was being indestructible. Reilly's was finesse, no matter how hard he tried, he had only ever been able to hit her once in training, in one hundred and fifty years. He'd hit her ONCE.

Luke was strong, but then there was ridiculous, and he was certain that Taz had no limit to his strength, the harder he tried, the stronger he got. He knew for a fact that Percy was the fastest warrior he'd ever seen with a sword. He could hack and slash and defeat anything that was thrown at him, but Luke often found himself questioning why he did that. Each prince had raw power at their fingertips. Dante was the most potent when it came down to his powers. He'd learned to summon a fiery hellstorm to descend upon his victims, something that he'd been working on for the past thirty years alone.

"Ready whenever you are." He responded. When he first met Percy, he never expected to have grown this close to him. Looking past all of the horrific things he did in the name of revenge, he had actually saved Olympus by sacrificing his own life, and that made him a hero in Percy's eyes. That had made him a true man by any standards. Luke accepted his eternal torment and for fifty years he was tortured. When Percy saved him from that his gratitude knew no bounds, and truly he wouldn't have it any other way. Percy was his closest friend and he wouldn't do anything to ruin what he'd spent the better half of the last two centuries building up. He just wondered exactly what was going to happen when Chaos eventually sent them back to Earth.


	41. Now?

**Chapter 41 – Now!?**

Chaos clapped to the victors of the match which was Percy and Luke. The two of them had managed to out manoeuvre everyone else and then win with a show of skill and force. "These games are a great way for you to see how far you've all come. Also the denizens of the city love it!" Chaos squealed. Her face shortly turned grave, it almost shocked them when she pulled this face now a days though.

"Unfortunately. It's now time for you to return to Earth… Return to Olympus. You will need the aid of your allies. You know what's coming, she's after Olympus as a first foothold in this war, and it's your job to stop that. She has a prison filled with endless monstrosities, and there is no doubt in my mind that she is far more powerful than Ten and Reilly's fusion. It will take all of you to stop her." Chaos told them, looking from face to face. A few of the Lieutenants paled in colour at the mention of Ten and Reilly's fusion. That was their second round that day and the lieutenants had been the fusion's first victim. Being the children of Chaos, they are most powerful when they fused. Depending on who is currently stronger when they fuse, that body is the one that stays.

"She's coming now? Ahhhhhhhhhhh…" Dante exasperated with extreme sarcasm. He was lying on the floor with his t-shirt wrapped around his head to avoid the heat, it did however reveal his chest. A sight that many women loved and a lot of men too. He was muscled and had a few eternal tattoos on his body. Most notably was the now golden scorpion. A piece of art that was once bestowed upon him from the god Apollo as a blessing. The tattoo had since been modified to glow a bright gold.

"Do not take this situation lightly. That Angel won't hesitate to erase your existence if she gets the chance. Defeating her isn't the concern, I'm sure that you are all capable of that, the aim is however to get her in such a state that you can seal her on the edge of the universe once more." Chaos explained. She hated that she had to even mention the Angel, she was a monster, no doubt about it.

Percy internally groaned. What if they were found out? Would he have the courage to face Artemis after all of this time? Chaos looked at him and he forgot that she could hear their thoughts. "It's not negotiable. Whether you keep your identities secret that is up to you. I have no problems with it, but know that the wrath your loved ones have saved up is extensive. It will be gruelling if you are ever to be reunited with them after centuries past." Chaos wished them luck and snapped her fingers. They all appeared as black smoke plumes that billowed towards the throne room of Olympus. They all thudded to the ground. The four princes all followed the lead of Reilly, the 'princess' of the universe to be technical. Two princes either side of Reilly just because it looked cool to Taz who'd come up with the idea. Each of the first five were backed by their chosen lieutenants. The doors to the great throne room opened and there stood Zeus in his business suit. Zeus was the only one in the gargantuan room. The princes all walked forwards. "Looking pretty fly in that suit Lord Zeus." Ten walked in and bowed. Zeus recognized these people instantly and recognized the voice.

"Prince Ten, it is strange to have you here. It has been nearly two centuries since your last visit at the force of my daughter has it not?" Zeus asked him as each of the princes all regained their posture. Zeus took his seat and the Olympians knew they were being summoned. Each of them reluctantly came forwards. Zeus also shot a lightning bolt out of the side of Olympus. The greater Guardians came to the meeting as well. Dante tilted his head towards them, they were obvious still hopeful in their search for them.

"Eh, about a hundred and fifty years. Give or take. Man that was painful." Ten grimaced underneath his mask at the memory of Thalia's wrath because she thought that he was one of her cousins. Ten removed his mask and hood, stepping forwards to the council. "I-" He began but Chaos appeared out of a sparkling purple explosion of dust that went as quick as it came.

"Lady Chaos." Zeus nodded with immense respect towards the primordial of creation, she showed her gratitude towards the council before her face turned stern.

"I owe each and every one of you an apology, but it is not my place to explain things any further. Just know that I am truly sorry for what many of you have gone through." Chaos told them before vanishing.

"What does she mean? Prince of the universe." Zeus turned, just as confused as many of them had been. Ten looked back towards the group.

"Ah fuck." He muttered. It seemed that the time had come, the time that they had been running from for two hundred years. Dante stepped forwards and kneeled. He gestured for his lieutenant to remain standing. The others knew what he was doing and joined him in a line. Ten nodded towards Reilly who was the last to kneel.

"My name is Ten. Son of Chaos and one of the four princes of the universe. I am part of the Vanguard of Chaos' armies. Together we lead in Chaos' name." He told them all before walking over to Reilly and kneeling next to her. Reilly stood and walked into the centre. "My name is Reilly." She too took off her mask and hood, "Only daughter of Chaos and the princess of the universe. Everyone you see before you is a part of Chaos' Vanguard." She got up and went back to her position. Dante hesitantly stood up.

"My name is Broken Rock-" He began but was interrupted by Artemis, "Your real name, boy." She said spitefully. "Shit." Dante muttered. All eyes on him he slowly obliged. Taking off his hood and mask to the shocked eyes of the gods, "My name is Dante Krios. Son of Hades." He closed his eyes, refusing to let anyone see his true emotions. He felt a shock go through his body and when he opened his eyes he found that he was implanted firmly in the throne room doors. Cracked Olympian building material was scattered around. He casually pulled himself free of the door and tried to locate the source of the lightning, was it Zeus' master bolt? Had he just been punished by the man himself? He couldn't think, or see straight. He fell to one knee and spat a huge amount of golden ichor out of his mouth. That was a really powerful attack. He looked up to see a fine looking woman with short spikey black hair. His vision was all over the place. He squinted but got a boot to the face. None of the gods said anything, they would never intervene with Thalia when she was THIS angry. Another five minutes later and Dante was exhausted from his beating but he was still just about standing on his feet, "That was for leaving." Thalia spat. She grabbed the black collar of his ever shifting armour and pulled his face into hers and gave him a powerhouse kiss, "And that's for coming back." She said at last. The throne room was in awe of them. Thalia helped Dante back over to the ranks of the prince before shooting sharp looks at the last remaining princes. "You'd better hope that you aren't who I think you are." She barked. They both flinched insane amounts before she pulled their hoods and masks off.

**Artemis POV**

Thalia pulled their hoods free and I just couldn't fathom it. My eyes were watering. Messy black hair? Check. Sea green eyes? Check. That bad boy grin that would always send women swooning? Definitely there. Oh my gods, Percy Jackson had returned. This is what Chaos had said, she was the one that took them away from us. A prince of the universe? I couldn't believe my eyes. The throne room was quiet, I uttered his name and as quiet as I had been, everyone heard it clearly. It was just enough to bring me out of my shock. Percy slowly tilted his head towards me and once our eyes connected I could see the pain and hurt. It hadn't been his choice to leave me after all. I was both so angry yet overjoyed at him. His eyes crinkled briefly however before he turned into a billowing plume of smoke and rocketed out of the throne room. Things turned into an uproar. Clarisse had already broken off a spear into Taz and nursing him back to health with her style of rough love. She would refuse to let him out of her sight for quite some time to come. "Luke, you're the only one that knows where he's gone. Find him." Dante turned to another hooded figure. It couldn't possibly be the same one could it? The man said nothing so I couldn't tell by the voice, but those bright brilliant blue eyes, it must have been. I kept my opinions to myself though as all I could think about was Percy. "No, I know where he's gone. I'll get him." I told them and before ANY of them could argue, I flashed to the spot where I knew for a fact that even after two hundred years, he was going to go to.


	42. Bark At The Moon

**Chapter 42 – Bark At The Moon**

Percy lie at the bottom of the lake that he'd plummeted to. He knew that from the heights of Olympus he'd survive any fall into water and even then he'd probably survive hitting concrete with how powerful they had become. He liked the feeling of just being oblivious to the world around him but he knew that no matter how hard he tried he'd become shaken to the fact that Artemis demanded his presence.

Percy turned his body and could see the clear face of the woman that had captured his heart. Next to her was a decently sized silver wolf. A wolf? She kept a companion now. That wasn't unbecoming of her. It got to the edges of the water and eagerly lapped it's tongue at Percy's domain. The dog whined slightly before turning into a human being in a fiery blaze. Percy didn't recognize this Lycan though, it was strange, and he just assumed that he knew them all. The woman the wolf turned into was beautiful as well, but had nothing on the looks of Artemis herself. Their lips moved and it became obvious that the wolf had sensed Percy in the lake. Before anything else Percy felt himself being pulled out of the water by unseen hands. He willed himself to stay there but all it did was slowed down his movements. A minute later and he had been fully pulled from the water and was levitating at the outstretched arm of Artemis herself. She had seemingly put him in a bubble of anti-gravity as he was freely floating around but at the same point. His body was now turned upside down and he thought that this made for an interesting conversational stance so he crossed his arms and put on his best frown at the god.

"Mature." He muttered. The wolf walked up and slapped Percy hard. Percy refused to give her a response of the pain, but even through his silence it had hurt him badly. "I don't even know you." Percy turned his head to the wolf. She muttered something too quietly for him to hear and transformed before bounding off towards where Percy knew the encampment was when he was last here. Percy closed his eyes, he couldn't bear to see the hurt in Artemis' beautiful silver eyes. He just couldn't face her after this much time.

"I searched." He could hear her voice getting closer to him. She could see him straining even harder to keep his eyes shut. She released him from his hold and without even opening his eyes he flipped down to a perfect standing position except he faltered and a second later Artemis felt his body against hers. He'd pulled her straight into a tight hug. He didn't say anything and what could he say? Tears fell from Artemis' eyes as she pulled his into her just as much. "I know." Percy whispered to her before he teleported them both away. He took her to Chaos' realm. They were both standing on the ocean. The waves neatly flowing underneath them. It was an ocean in a desert. A big city was in the distance and high up in the sky there looked to be a floating palace.

"I know you tried, and you never stopped for two hundred years, that's why this hurts so much. Because I knew and yet couldn't do anything, I couldn't even tell you that I was OK. Artemis you tried to find someone relentlessly for two centuries not even knowing that they're alive." Percy held a hand to her cheek and kissed her without warning. Her cheeks burned a violent shade of red before she tried to say something, "I, I-" She just couldn't finish it though, she pulled him into her for another deep kiss, "It's because I love you Percy Jackson!" She shouted at him, it was more anger than anything else that was taking over her at this point. Percy held on tight and leaned back. The crashed through the calm waves below them. Entrenched in an air bubble so that Artemis could breath.

"But Poseidon!" She began in a huge panic. Percy internally chuckled but knew it was far too soon to be light hearted. He still fully expected a silver arrow in the heart after all of this. "This is Chaos' realm. The seas are my domain. I hold more power here than my father does in the seas of the earth. If I will you to breath in my home, then the water will obey." Percy clicked his fingers and the bubble vanished and the water flowed over them, but didn't stop them from descending. Artemis' eyes adjusted and she could clearly see the beautiful landscape before her eyes set on a palace resting at the bottom of the sea. It was huge but elegant. She couldn't help but be taken in by its beauty.

They walked through a series of hallways before they finally reached a huge throne room. Percy had a throne and another throne equally as large that just seemed to call out to Artemis. She noticed that lining the sides of the throne room was a hand carved statue of every one of the hunters. And a few more to boot. They were carved out of beautiful green marble.

"Percy?" She whispered, struggling to find her voice when she set her eyes on a statue that just radiated magnificence. It was a statue of Artemis herself and the statue made her look far more beautiful than even Aphrodite.

"You're right. It's not quite as beautiful as the real thing." Artemis blushed when she felt Percy's hand glide over her face. She could feel his piercing gaze with his sea green eyes that just managed to captivate her soul.

"Artemis I didn't chose to leave you and I can't change the past, but I will promise you this. If anyone ever tries to take me away from you again… Well" He chuckled, "Let's just say that I'll be making a lot of enemies." Percy told her. In that single moment she forgave him for everything. "Come here you." She almost couldn't breathe because of her emotions getting the better of her and making her choke up. She led him straight to where she could see his watery bed through the open doorway.


	43. Taking One For The Team!

**Chapter 43 – Taking One For The Team**

**Third Person POV**

The Vanguard stood in shock at what had transpired. Ten knew the history behind everyone here but he seriously never expected things to be this bad. He shot a knowing glance at Luke and shook his head. Luke knew what he'd meant and said nothing, keeping his hood up at all times. Dante was brutally being beaten and loved up at the same time by Thalia whose relentless assault on his body had been ongoing for some time now. Nobody had said anything and Taz and Clarisse had disappeared so Ten reasoned that the Chaotic Vanguard would no doubt be spending some time on Olympus.

Ten snapped his fingers and the billowing smoky armour deformed around his body before it revealed a very casual attire underneath. He was wearing swimming shorts and flip flops with not top covering his extremely chiselled body structure. He immediately felt all eyes on him, Aphrodite's stare was intense.

"What? I was having a beach day before this mission." He shrugged. Zeus face palmed and dismissed the council. The hunt was finally over. They had found their missing immortals, any other business from Chaos would have to wait for a day while the Vanguards got reunited with their long lost lovers. "Hey prince. Ever been with a god?" Aphrodite walked right up to Ten who was standing around with Reilly and a still masked Luke. They decided that his identity would be his and Percy's choice to reveal. Ten seriously seemed to be considering this question.

"I don't think so. Jenna from the planet Yahn-Tzu was pretty godlike but… No, why?" He said with a serious face. Reilly looked away at the horribly cringy situation. Aphrodite seemed stunned for all of a single second before she resumed her hunt for a prince of the universe.

"Do you want to?" She winked at him. Reilly sighed, subtle, real subtle. Ten's eyes widened briefly.

"Fuck the hell yes I do! Reilly you're in charge!" Ten shouted in excitement. He grabbed Aphrodite by the waist which made her squeal in delight before Ten teleported the two of them to Zeus knows where. He popped back after a ridiculously short amount of time, "Guys, I'm in a tough situation but I'll take one for the team. You're in charge." He vanished once again.

"So that happened." Luke let out a small chuckle about the entire matter. Reilly gave him a dangerous glare which made him shut up straight away. "Well, Dante is now having the time of his life. Tazman is doing better than the majority of the past two hundred years. Percy is… Well. He's just about gotten away with not being beaten." Reilly informed Percy's lieutenant.

"And Ten is courting Aphrodite. Great, just when his ego couldn't possibly become any bigger." Luke rambled. Reilly naturally ignored Luke most of the time so when she actually wanted to ignore him, she was incredibly efficient with drowning him out or just focusing on other things. She could smell burning charcoal somewhere around but it was mixed with a musty caramel smell and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it would be. "Go back to Chaos' realm. Await further orders. You are in charge of the Vanguard when there are no princes or me. It's not the time for you to be revealed yet." Reilly told Luke who simply nodded. He trusted her judgement even if it sounded like bullshit. Reilly cloaked up and took a wander around Olympus. Literally everyone else was doing it, so she decided to go and try to find some entertainment. Hephaestus? Too ugly. Ares? To much of a jackass. Hermes? She'd probably get her dignity back in an express parcel after two months. Then she set her sights on a young man in the pavilion area sitting at a table with another god. Reilly casually strolled up to the table and grew to their size. She could actually grow to any size she wanted to, but the size of the gods would be fine, she didn't want to show off.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked them both, only then realizing that her face mask was on and that she hadn't taken it off like Ten and Dante had. She whipped her sleek black hair around her face so that she could properly free it for the first time in what felt like an age and a half. She was incredibly good looking, as much as Aphrodite herself but living on the plains of Chaos for over three thousand years had slowly made her body to a state of near perfection. It was something special. Apollo's jaw was about a foot away from the ground so Annabeth answered for him, "Of course you can your highness." She answered seriously. Reilly laughed at the formality before seeing the estranged expression in Annabeth's face.

"Seriously? Please, never call me that again. I'm a regular person like you. Except I'm over three thousand years old." Reilly faltered. Annabeth and Reilly began an in depth conversation about how Reilly looked amazing for a three thousand year old. Apollo made a few benign comments here and there but there weren't heard or cared for. He gave up and decided to go and make a fool of himself elsewhere.


	44. She's Free

**Chapter 44 – She's Free**

She wanted it. Artemis wanted _him. _For too long had she toyed around with the thought of doing this if she ever found Percy again, now she knew what she wanted and had it within her hands, but not all things are easily broken. Artemis' oath still stood and she was fully aware of that. She had pushed Percy against the soft dark green chair that was in his underwater palace. Here on Chaos' realm she was immune from any oath's that had been made on Earth but she couldn't consciously break them then return to Olympus. People would know and whilst she never denied that she loved Percy Jackson, that could easily still start a war amongst gods. But who would fight? Zeus, obviously backed by Apollo who wouldn't be able to see straight at the mere implication of Percy touching Artemis in any way. Ares who no doubt still wanted his shot at destroying Percy. There had to be many other gods that would try their hand to kill Jackson, a prince of the universe.

Artemis knew that it would take possibly every Olympian to take down Percy considering how powerful he was. But he would never be alone. He had the Vanguard with him. Dante and Taz? They were no doubt just as powerful if not more. Then there was the actual son and daughter of Chaos who had gained all of their powers naturally. Percy told her about their little fusion they performed. The body of one, the mind of two and all of their strengths yet none of their weaknesses. Percy then laughed after he'd said that. He had his suspicion that each of the princes had found a unique power over the last couple of decades and he no longer knew who was truly the strongest. Artemis could never believe that anyone would surpass Percy just from the look in his eye. Every moment she spent with him she could see that the last two hundred years he had done very little else but train. The calculating look in his eyes told her so.

"Percy." Artemis whispered. They had been sat in the same position for over twenty minutes. Percy in the chair with Artemis straddling him. He wasn't sure how to feel about her different personality but he guessed that after two hundred years he would have been the same towards her if the situation were reversed. He didn't want to wait to hear what she was about to say, he wrapped his hands around her and pulled her face close to his. "I love you Artemis." He told her with the most serious face he'd ever put on. Percy noticed a small tear erupt from the side of her eyes. He noticed her crying underwater. He quickly swept it off without thinking. Artemis buried her face in his shoulder. He heard her muffle cry, "Why do you have to be so PERFECT Percy Jackson!?" She cursed him multiple times in ancient Greek.

They knew that they would soon enough need to go back to Earth and Olympus but things would look suspicious if they went together so Percy opened up a portal and let her leave through it. A bright purple light filled the hallways of his palace and he knew that Chaos wanted to see him on the mainland. Flashing into the halls of her grand palace Percy felt the need to bow but the very last time he had done that she threatened to turn him into a diamond statue for ten years.

"Chaos." He greeted her with a smile. It was the first time he had been truly happy since they were all brought here. Chaos looked stern and ready for war.

"It's time to go back to your camp. You need to be ready soon enough. Old faces still linger and many of your friends were made immortal from their valiant efforts at the battle for Olympus. I need the Vanguard to be ready. You are the strongest of the princes because of your power to protect the ones you love. It will serve you well." Chaos smiled faintly before she too disappeared through a portal. No doubt that led her into a natural state of dormancy. She was a primordial after all. Percy couldn't help but wonder just why the hell he couldn't get the primordial to all help as well. Sighing he created his own portal to Olympus. He may have escaped the wrath of Artemis, but Thalia was a whole different case. He knew that she was going to be as relentless on him as she had been on Dante.

Stepping back onto Olympus she quickly found Luke and Reilly sitting at a table with Apollo who was deep in conversation with Reilly, and Annabeth who was deep in thought about a new section of Olympus. "Hello wise girl." Percy's attractive voice went off. All alarms in Annabeth's mind went off straight away. Percy had to think extremely fast to grow to the size of an Olympian in order to survive the impending crushing hug that he received from Annabeth. "Idiot! Where have you been all this time seaweed brain!?" She demanded, quickly leashing her grip from his. He chuckled slightly at the two hundred year old nickname that she had.

"Did nobody tell you? We were fighting as the right hand of the creator of the universe. Interesting stuff. A lot of scars though." Percy frowned slightly. He realised that all this time, Luke had still been hooded. "Come one. I think it's time that you were introduced." Luke nodded silently and all of the Vanguard turned into black plumes of smoke and appeared in the throne room. A quick conversation was had with Zeus and immediately most of the Olympians were flashed into the throne room. Four of the Vanguard immediately took off their hoods but were shocked when they turned to Ten who was already half naked. "Blame her." He pointed at Aphrodite before he turned to smoke and shot through the roof. All eyes went to the goddess of beauty.

"Oh come on! Like you weren't all trying to do the same." She exasperated, looking from face to face and feeling a smug sense of satisfaction when she wasn't proved wrong. Ten returned a moment later and was much more respectable. He quickly walked over to Artemis' throne and kneeled in front of it. "I apologize Lady Artemis, it was incredibly insensitive of me to have been in an immodest state in your presence. It will not happen again." He told her. The throne room was shocked except for the Vanguard. They knew what Ten was like and it wasn't the first time he'd had to apologize to someone high up for being naked in their presence. Artemis nodded and looked grateful for the apology but she remained silent. Her eyes were mostly on Percy. A small fork of lightning struck Percy, Taz and Dante dead on in the chest. It wasn't enough to make them move at all but it was still enough to make the impression.

"Thalia, enough." Zeus ordered and she obeyed. The greater Guardians were all here. Thalia, Clarisse and War. War was indifferent to his predecessors showing up after two hundred years. He seemed to favour simply the deathly greatsword after all this time as it had clearly doubled in size and mass and no one could see the maul. Thalia obliged and cut out her attacks but she was still furious at them.

"You have all been called here at the request of Percy." Zeus motioned for Percy to step forwards.

"The legends have long been a part of our culture but the last time some of us were here we were found fighting against an opponent that never had a place in our mythology or history and yet it was as old and powerful as Kronos. Aranost the dragon had been the starting point for many of our troubles and now two hundred years down the line he has set in motion a chain of events that have released the evil from Chaos' soul. We have no name for this being so we are simply calling her Chaos' evil. She was locked on the edge of the ever expanding universe but is now free. She is as powerful as a decent amount of the primordial gods combined. Luckily…" Percy's bad boy grin came back and Artemis noticed that she wasn't the only one that noticed. The old Percy was back and at the top of his game. Artemis caught Aphrodite adjusting the collar on her godly dress but she guessed that had something to do with Ten as well.

"We're stronger." Percy grinned. He glanced back at his team.

"You can all sense power so maybe we should try and give you an idea of what Chaos' evil is capable of." A lot of estranged looks were exchanged before Percy pointed to Taz and Reilly and then thumbed at himself. They all looked like they were concentrating before a faint purple outline had engulfed them. After a few seconds Olympus itself growled and tremor at the sheer power flooding out of the three of them. Zeus ordered them to stop, they were tearing the place apart.

"Well that was about thirty percent of our power and Chaos' evil is about as strong as us three." Everyone had to do a spit take.

"Only thirty percent? You guys are hardcore!" Apollo squealed with delight as the rest of the council looked on in shock. Percy grinned at the sun god and gave him a wink before they continued on to the real business.


	45. Super What Now?

**Chapter 45 – Super What Now? **

**A/N: So yeah, it was my birthday then I broke my ribs, things are taking a little bit longer than I wanted them to, but I'm here now! Sorry about the delay guys. I love you all!**

"So are you three the strongest?" Apollo asked, almost leaning out of his throne at this point. It was predictable that the immature sun god would be the one to almost squeal like a girl when the power was let loose.

"Well, we don't like to label things like that but very possibly. Reilly is three thousand years old. We still, after two hundred years, haven't found a limit to Ten. And Chaos says that there's a hidden power locked in my mind. Not even she knows the trigger for it though. So possibly yes." Percy told him, getting a variety of looks from the council. Just when they were shocked by everything, Percy turns around and has even more strength in him.

"I object!" Dante shouted immaturely. The Vanguard knew what was about to happen and everyone, even Dante's own Lieutenant, Grif, groaned at the past memories. Dante grunted and groaned in the most awkward way before a blast of air sent everyone feeling fuzzy from the strange power. The only one unplaced was Zeus. Dante's hair stood on end and it now glowed a bright gold colour. His eyes were exactly the same as Taz's.

"I am a true super Saiyan!" His voice was low and raspy. A new kind of energy billowed around the throne room as the floor grumbled lightly from the sheer power that Dante was putting out. Grif walked over to his superior and slapped him on the back of the head so hard that the hair died down. Dante was dazed for a moment. "Huh, what?" He looked around dismayed.

"You went super Saiyan." Taz told him casually. Dante mouthed an 'oh' and stood silent, waiting for someone to break the awkward silence.

"What's a super Saiyan?" Apollo asked, almost beaming at the new tricks these princes could do. Dante looked up at his patron with a sly smirk, "Nothing more than theatricality. It just makes me look like a total badass." Dante grinned. Apollo agreed and they fist bumped.

"Anyway, moving on. We were sent back here because we actually have business. The Vanguard is the forefront of an entire army of Chaos' best warriors. We are all that stands between the many planets and civilizations of the universe and Chaos' evil side." Percy took a breath. This was going to be a tough meeting.

"We have a lot to get through and we believe that when Chaos' evil strikes she will take a personal strike at your sons and daughters. The Vanguard is going to be stationed at Camp Half Blood. I would highly suggest a merging of Half Blood and the Camp Jupiter. This isn't the first time you've tried and we know that in the direst situation we can successfully band together. With the two camps in one place it will be easier to defend and we won't have to split up any of our forces. We request the Guardians aid in this matter." Percy hesitated before turning his gaze to the three greater Guardians that were present.

Clarisse stepped forwards, it seemed that as a daughter of Ares she was naturally suited to leading a military unit. "We will answer the call. The Guardians stand ready to assist you in any way we can. The Guardian corpse stands strong at five hundred. We have had a lot of success since you disappeared. I have no doubts that we can defeat the evil you speak of." Clarisse told them, her gaze wandered over to Taz and softened immensely. Percy was happy with how this was turning out.

"My Hunt will also be appearing in aid for the Vanguard." Artemis spoke up. It was no surprise really, it was pretty obvious what her intentions were. After all was said and done, Percy wasn't looking forwards to returning to Camp Half Blood. The friends that he'd left behind were long gone. Or he thought they were. Zeus had immortalized every camper that had a hand with saving Olympus against Kronos, and then again from the battles with Aranost.

"Before we go there is one last thing we need to do. Lieutenants, step forwards." Taz took over. Each complied. He'd done it so that Percy's lieutenant was last to be revealed.

"My name is Grif Johnson." Dante's lieutenant took his hood off. The room went quiet. Grif had a blazing orange glow to his skin. Grif was a denizen of a planet whose primary source of energy was their own ridiculous core temperatures. The man had short dark brown hair that was slicked back with eyes that were blazing hotter than Ares'. "I come from a planet called Sundown. I serve Prince Dante." Grif kneeled before the council before joining Dante.

The next one up was Taz's lieutenant. "My name." A very husky accent rang through. "Is Dimitri Yezhov. I used to be a Cossack warrior. I died in battle but not before I killed two hundred men with my bare hands. My fury was seen upon by Lady Chaos and I have lived under the command of Prince Tazman." Dimitri bowed so low that Poseidon nearly burst into a fit of laughter when Apollo leaned over and asked if his nose touched the floor.

Next up was Ten's lieutenant. "Before she says anything, don't judge." Ten pointed out. A woman unhooded herself and sighed heavily. "For one hundred and fifty years I have had to put up with him. My name has been long lost and not used in over a thousand years. I served with Chaos' army since being born in the Chaos realm. I earned the name Apocalypse. I serve under Prince Ten's command." She kneeled like the rest did. Apocalypse was almost as beautiful as Aphrodite, yet it was clear that she was never going to be one to fall for Ten's unique charm.

Another lieutenant stepped forwards, now it was only Reilly's and Percy's left. The hood came off like all others had. "Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter, brother of Thalia Grace, half-brother to Prince Tazman. I serve under Princess Reilly." Jason received a bolt of lightning from Thalia but he stood like nothing had happened at all. Thalia gave him a death glare for not telling her. Zeus had a hurt expression as well, "Jason, we mourned for you. Why could you not tell us?" Zeus asked, the hurt clear in his voice.

"Lady Chaos' orders. If we blew our cover and came back at an inappropriate time, we would have ruined our one chance to stop Chaos' evil." Jason told them like it was obvious. Which it admittedly now was. "Whatever happens next, know that our decisions are final and if you choose to pursue a violent path, we will not hesitate to defend one of our own." Percy warned them. The tone of his voice set the mood, if they had to choose, the lieutenant would always come first. The hood came off revealing a clean cut blonde hair, blue eyes and a small scar that ran up the side of his face.

"My name is Luke Castellan. I disowned myself from my godly parent from shame when I was in Tartarus. I have no value to my name on Earth or Olympus alike. I sacrificed myself after seeing my mistakes, bringing the downfall of the titan lord Kronos. I serve under Prince Percy." The entire time, Luke's eyes were glued to the floor. The whole room erupted into anarchy. Zeus' master bolt was in his hand before any time had passed. Percy flashed in front of the still kneeling Luke.

"Would you start a war with the princes of the universe? I may have to let Dante go super Saiyan again." Percy told him with a less than inviting glare. Zeus grumbled for a moment before he seated himself. Bolt still in hand. That was over with, but they still had the arduous task of explaining their choice. In Percy's eyes, Luke was a hero, THE hero that saved Olympus two hundred years ago, not him.


	46. Return To Camp Half-Blood

**Chapter 46 – Return To Camp Half Blood**

Nico looked up to the sky. He'd been made an immortal Guardian and was serving as part of the garrison that always looked after Camp Half Blood. He wouldn't have it any other way. He noticed a great number of black plumes of smoke streaking through the sky. He felt the energy of the greater Guardians flash into the camp and seriously could not understand what was going on. He stared up at the smoke, occasionally taking a sip from his nectar flask every now and then like he was casually watching Hephaestus TV.

"Hey Leo, what the hell is that?" He asked. Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus joined the Guardians immortal ranks when his greatest friend went missing so long ago. Leo looked eyes wide before he suddenly calmed, "Whatever it is, it won't get through the barrier." Leo smirked knowingly. The plumes didn't slow and instead of hitting the barrier harmlessly they came right through and the smoke solidified into ten warriors all dressed in flowing black armour that of which was almost alive.

The Guardians that were stationed to look over Camp Half Blood immediately took up arms against the warriors, but the greater Guardians arrived on scene shortly to defuse the situation. "Stand down. Leo, put that nuclear bomb away." Thalia scolded him, sending him an incredulous look. The worst part was that Leo would happily have set it off in someone's face.

Thalia turned to say something else but found that none of the Vanguard were paying any attention to her. They were all looking around in shock at the improvements that were made in two hundred years.

"Huh. Two centuries of progress. I think… Hang on." Taz told them before he formed a rocket of pure black smoke and shot into the sky with incredible speed, it was a struggle for some of them to even keep track of him. He came back down shortly.

"Bigger on the inside. That's awesome." He told them. Percy looked at him with confusion.

"The barrier is around the camp as we knew it centuries ago, but once inside the barrier you enter an entirely different domain. Camp Half-Blood has had some impressive expansion, but of course they had to do something about the land consumption. That's genius." Taz looked incredibly pleased with the entire situation. Percy sighed and turned back to the warriors in front of them. "Un hood." He said casually.

"Butt hole!" Nico shouted at his immortal brother. Nico and Leo had heard rumours about the events that had unfolded on Olympus but were far too disciplined to act on anything until it was proven, but now that it was, there was nothing to separate them from a thorough fight.

"Oh you want some mister Mytho-magic?" Dante challenged his little brother in his own unique sibling rivalry. They engaged in a super powered fist fight. After the first couple of minutes everyone else lost interest and broke off into different groups. Reilly decided to take charge of the Vanguard while Percy and Taz sorted out their next move.

"We're planning to stay the night at Camp Half-Blood. Introduce ourselves, make the campers ware of the threat and then in the morning we're going to do the exact same thing in Camp Jupiter. I think this camp might even be big enough to house you both." Percy told Clarisse with an impressed tone in his voice. Something that Clarisse was sure she'd never really hear from him.

"Hold up Prissy. We've gotten a lot of growth but you're talking about housing Greeks, Romans, Guardians, Hunters of Artemis AND your Vanguard in one camp? What could you possibly get out of that?" She asked.

Percy grinned at her with such a smirk that it sent an unknown chill down Clarisse's spine. "The most legendary game of Capture the Flag known to Olympus." Percy grinned once again. Where could they have this colossal game of CTF? Chaos' realm of course, but he'd tell them that in a few days, when the actual games and training would commence. First they had to settle at Camp Half Blood, then do the same for Jupiter before bringing the Romans to the Greek camp. The Hunters would be joining Camp Half-Blood later in the day.

Chiron greeted the leaders of the Vanguard with a gleam in his eye, "Boys, it's good to see you recovered after all this time. I'm truly happy that you're here. I'm afraid that we might not be able to get suitable accommodation for princes of the universe before nightfall though." He frowned as if his words might mortally wound any one of them.

"What are the Guardians doing for shelter?" Dante asked, almost out of breath, dragging Nico in a head lock who was actively cursing him using every known ancient Greek swear he knew.

"Yet another gift from Hephaestus, we have headquarters built underneath the entire camp. We can station every one of our troops here." War responded. He didn't have his mask on for once and his Chaos blade was strapped firmly to his huge back. The seven foot warrior stood out even more next to Leo.

"We shall simply create a cabin or something. In Chaos' name and what not." Dante said absent mindedly before going back to beating on his little brother who had just reversed the hold and sent a whopping uppercut into the princes' jawline.

Ten spoke up for the first time, "Land, sea or air?" He asked, knowing this could spark a dispute.

"Land."

"Sea."

"Air." Dante, Percy and Taz all said at once, respectively. Ten turned on his heel before reconsidering asking the lieutenants.

"Has to be land. Not all of us can breathe underwater and not all of us can fly. I mean we can all fly, but not all of us want to be situated in the air. We'll build a cabin that stretched off the beach that was we get the best of both worlds. Except for you Taz, you lose." Ten grinned. They all grunted with the compromise. Chiron looked shocked that they were taking things so easily until he realized just how much power each of the princes had at their fingertips. After a few minutes of focusing and minor tremors in the ground, a two story stocky cabin had been built along the shoreline out of nothing but thin air. The Vanguard went in to settle before any of their conjoined camp activities would begin.


	47. Just Warming Up

**Chapter 47 – Just Warming Up**

The inside of the Chaos cabin was nothing special, but it was a perfect rendition of what home was to them, the Vanguard. "So what's going to happen when we play the night games?" Jason asked curiously. He rounded the flight of stairs with expert precision and managed to descend them without touching anything.

"Well, we have to make it fair. Soooo… Greeks and Romans… AND the Hunters of Artemis… AND the Guardians… AND all of you lieutenants versus us princes. That's fair. Oh and Dimitri, NO killing." Percy warned the lieutenant with a very strict stare. Lieutenant Yezhov had a very quick temper and often lost his marbles and caused an incident.

Luke had been so much happier since their return to Olympus where Hermes had reclaimed him. It was Zeus' quick assumptions which led to a near massacre in the throne room. He had assumed that Kronos had infiltrated the ranks fo the Guardians and was there to destroy Olympus once again. When it was revealed to be Luke himself, purged of all evil, the gods instantly gave him a second chance. Hermes was the one to tell him that the gods forgave him the moment that he sacrificed everything and sentenced himself to eternity in Tartarus. This was why Percy had chosen him to be his lieutenant for the rest of time itself.

"We have to fight you?" Luke asked with a confused and slightly fearful expression. Being Percy's lieutenant he knew things that the other princes didn't. They might all be cousins, but Luke was his closest friend in two hundred years.

"You can run away and piss your pants if you prefer Castellan." Apocalypse, Ten's lieutenant issued the mock. She wasn't one to take lightly but she also never backed away from a challenge. It was clear that the combined forces of the hunters, Guardians, campers and Vanguardian lieutenants had very slim chance of stopping the raw power of the princes of the universe.

"In your dreams A-poc." Luke retorted. There was a fierce rivalry between many in Chaos' armies but none were above that of Apocalypse and Luke. They were constantly at each other's throats and without the princes keeping them on track one of them would have no doubt been killed by now. Killed and reformed, but the point still stands.

Grif started whistling the theme tune to the good the bad the ugly. He was the trouble maker of the group when Luke was busy being serious, otherwise, there was no better prankster than the son of Hermes. The two of them had a relationship much like that of Hermes and Apollo.

"Guys. You're tense, we get it. Why not try to take it out on us instead?" Reilly intervened with a mischievous smirk. Dante agreed without really thinking about what anyone was saying.

"Yeah! Wait what?" He said, taking a few steps back. He knew for a fact that Dimitri and Grif wouldn't hesitate. Luke would probably find a different opponent to start with and Apocalypse would probably be more interested in sleeping with the prince than besting him. That left Jason who was grinning at the chance to take on his half-brother. Taz realized what was going on and received a lightning bolt to the face.

"Guys, not indoors." Percy complained casually before clicking his fingers. Immediately the whole house turned into a one story floor plan with no roof and no walls. They were free to fight as they saw fit. Percy just morphed his body into solid sea water. He was almost invincible like this as no weapons could harm him. Dante blushed with fright at what happened next. Taz and Jason had taken to the skies to commence their personal thunder battle. Apocalypse, Dimitri and Grif had teamed up and were facing Dante expectantly. "Quick; super saiyan!" Dante shouted immaturely before turning into his theatrical self and fleeing. That left Percy who had turned himself into a hydro spectre and just stood there watching, and the two Chaos twins. Reilly summoned two circular blades made from a white gold and adopted a combat stance. All of the lieutenants did the same. Together they would be able to take down one maybe two princes. If they worked together. Ten just screamed and ran away.

"Oh shit." Reilly realized she was on her own and chased after her twin brother.

High up on Olympus, the council of the Olympians had gathered to discuss the recent events and had decided to discuss what had become of the big three sons. "Tazman has become a natural element of respect between the Vanguards but Percy has stepped up to the official leadership role within their group. They've all changed so much." Zeus said out loud, not really addressing anyone in particular. He was just relaying what he was seeing. In the visage that they had created Percy clicked his fingers and their cabin disappeared, leaving them to fight. Zeus' sons began to battle with such ferocity that it made the thunder god proud. Dante squealed before doing his fake show of power.

"Except Dante. Dante Krios is still a joker." Zeus grumbled with amusement. They watched what had become off their saviours and couldn't help but feel immense pride.

"Well sister, it looks like you and a few hundred others are going to play training games against THEM. Have fun." Apollo grinned at Artemis who was still staring at the Vanguards fighting each other. Surely they couldn't be so powerful as to best every hero they had? Artemis still had her eyes glued on Percy's watery image. He was so handsome. And his body was perfectly chiselled. Her mind wandered back to when they were in his palace. His hands were slowly moving up the side of her body. She felt a hot pulsing in her and forced herself to think of other things. Aphrodite knew exactly what was going on and gave Artemis a discrete wink from across the throne room.

"Willing to bet that Damon Krayon is secretly the most powerful." Dionysus offered.

"Dante Krios, and what would you offer as the stakes?" Hades asked up, correcting his son's name.

"A months worth of my finest wine. Also offering the same thing for a more obscure bet. Trazen Monsoon will reveal some super ability." Dionysus was having a lot of fun messing with the princes' names.

"Tazman Manson, and you believe they have hidden abilities?" Zeus asked, his interest captured by the wine god's ridiculous humour.

"Oh of course. Didn't you hear Prancy Jenkins? Chaos has a suspicion that he has something locked away in him. Why wouldn't they all? Especially those two chaotic offspring, Eleven and Roley." Dionysus cracked a slight smile but it was enough for everyone to see that he was loving every minute of it.

"You mean Ten and Reilly?" Artemis asked him rhetorically. Of course he had, he was just screwing with the gods. They promptly ignored everything Dionysus had previously said.


	48. Camp Jupiter

**Chapter 48 – Camp Jupiter**

Dante stoked the big fire that was ablaze in respect to the general mood of the campers and anyone else near it. Needless to say, it went skywards the moment Dante saw a flame. Everyone was sat around in big rows of benches that made it clear and easy for everyone to all attend. Chiron sat with his horse half grazing on the ground gracefully as everyone silently watched the sun descend from the sky above them. The mood was good, even though each prince knew what was coming their way.

The campers all noticed the gravity of the situation when Artemis and her hunters flashed into the camp in a sparkle of silver dust. They made their way into the huge arena. A god was in the camp, this was huge. It of course wasn't the first time, but they knew this time that there was a reason for everyone to be banded together. The discussion went on into the night. The Vanguards had agreed that while they wait to get Camp Jupiter, they would teach the campers, Guardians and huntresses alike, some of their many skills. When the time came for them to face off against Chaos' evil side, they would be joined by Chaos' army itself. The heroes would all be teleported to Chaos' realm where the battle would take place. If they lost on Chaos' realm, then Chaos would close the realm in on itself, causing herself and her evil to be trapped completely, for eternity.

The discussions went on for a long time before eventually they decided to call it a night.

* * *

"But I just don't see any other way. I was there, it's your home turf. We should minimise our squad as much as possible." Percy told Jason whom he decided would be the best companion to do this with.

"Maybe. Piper isn't going to be happy about this. I spoke with father late last night. He informed me of what happened to who. He immortalized them Percy, all of them. Piper joined the Roman camp, she's with Reyna and Hazel, someone to help keep the peace. Percy she will kill me." Jason said in deadpan. Percy dismissed it, he'd be fine.

"We're Vanguards remember. Nobody kills us." Percy told him with discipline. Jason nodded, the point was across. This was happening. "We leave in half an hour. Luckily we don't have to change our appearances. We're going to have the roman camp stay in cabins along the south shore line. The other Vanguardians are going to be actively building the barracks for each cohort. Half an hour Jason. Meet me at the big house. I have to go and settle the hunters in." Percy told him before turning into a black plume of smoke. It was hardly necessary, the cabin of Artemis was only a few hundred yards from the magical Chaotic palace that the Vanguard had built but Jason knew that Percy's involvement with Artemis was one that was to be kept under cover.

Only the Vanguardians, greater Guardians and the Olympian gods knew of the 'brief' suggested romance kindling between the two of them. Jason chuckled at Percy's failed subtlety but let him get on with it none the less. He decided that the best thing for him to do would be to get a head start on Percy and go to Camp Jupiter now. He could easily just fly there and that would make for an awesome entrance, or he could simply teleport above them and drop from the sky.

Jason told Percy empathically what he was doing and agreed to meet up with him soon. Clicking his fingers, Jason summoned a swirling black void that soon glowed white and showed him an envisioned image of new Rome. Camp Jupiter was as breath taking as ever. They too had massive growth. He stepped through the portal and begun to fall towards the camp at terminal velocity. Of course that felt like nothing compared to what he was used to flying at. The Vanguardians were basically modern day supermen. A lot of people down below in the city were looking up in awe at the black meteor that was fast approaching them. The meteor (Jason) smashed straight down into the middle of the street where a number of high ranking officials were all situated in their sparkling polished armour. Jason had his hood up and he recognised these people. Frank, Hazel and Piper all rode on Horses. They were no doubt patrolling together. Something that they were allowed to do. Another horse flew down. Flew. It was a Pegasus and riding on its back was the leader the Legion, Praetor Reyna. Weapons were drawn from everywhere. All pointed firmly at the son of Jupiter. Piper stared deeply into his eyes. "Wait!" She ordered them, her charmspeak was very possibly at a god like level now. She was as beautiful as ever. "You. Remove your hood." She said softly. It had very little effect on Frank, Hazel and Reyna and they could tell what she was doing. Everyone else around them all removed their helmets, except for Jason, who just chuckled lightly. "No." He grinned under his mask.

"Impossible. Nobody but a god should be able to resist that." She grumbled. Reyna had to step forwards.

"Praetor Reyna." Jason kneeling in front of her. His billowing black smoky cape seemed to shorten and lengthen depending on where his feet where. On the inside of his cape it was clear that there was very small lighting strikes occurring on the inside. Each Vanguard's cape reflected who they were in their previous lives. Being the son of Jupiter, Jason had storms swirling around. The inside of Taz's cape formed a clear and contingent tempest that sometimes reflected his mood. Jason had once seen Taz's armour turn into a solid bolt of lightning before.

"I am the lieutenant of princess Reilly. Daughter of the primordial Chaos, creator of the universe. I am one of the ten most elite warriors this universe has ever seen. The Vanguardians." Jason stood at last, only risking a miniscule glance at Piper who had at this point dismounted her horse. She made her way over to him. "Don't you want to tell me who you are?" She asked Jason who was actually falling under her influence. "Hmm. No. I prefer to toy with daughters of Aphrodite. Karma." Jason winked through the mask. She huffed and stood back for Reyna to continue.

"If I ask nicely without that charmspeak powers, will you please remove your hood?" Reyna asked with a lot of respect. Even though Jason wasn't actually a prince, he was still held with high regard.

"Maybe. If we can talk somewhere more comfortable and not surrounded by guards everywhere." Jason knew exactly where they were to be going. Once inside her private quarters and she was sat in her throne like chair with two automaton dogs by her sides she was about to say something but the dogs bounded forwards as it in attack mode but promptly sat in front of the new arrival expectantly. Nobody except Jason knew exactly what had just happened. "Go on boys." He pointed back to Reyna and the obliged. Everyone walked forwards.

"My name." He glanced nervously at Piper, "Is Jason Grace." He removed his hood and mask. Piper fainted. "Whoops." Was all Jason could say with a feverish grin.


	49. United We Stand

**Chapter 49 – United We Stand**

"Praetor Reyna! There's another one! Another black warrior has arrived!" A guard barged through the doors. Reyna raised an eyebrow at Jason who was actively explaining everything that had happened since. "It's Prince Percy." Jason told her as if it was all obvious. He hadn't quite gotten to the part where he planned to tell her that Percy Jackson was a prince of the universe.

"Not Jackson." She asserted as if it was an impossibility. Jason nodded. It was definitely Percy Jackson.

"Oh gods, things just keep getting better. Send him- Oh, he's shown himself in." Reyna could see clearly down the hallway where the guards had attempted to stop Percy and he'd just mown his way through them effortlessly, knocking each of them out.

"Oh the joys you bring to my camp Percy Jackson." Reyna said sarcastically as Percy took down his hood and mask revealing a grinning green eyed god like being. Percy's eyes flicked towards Jason before going back to Reyna's. Jason hadn't mentioned that she was made immortal as well. He knew of Frank Zhang and Piper McLean who was currently unconscious in the corner of the room. Percy pointed and awaited an explanation before noticing that Jason was revealed as well.

"Well, that makes for an awesome entrance. Let me just ask one thing. First cohort, that dickhead Octavian isn't immortal is he?" Percy asked, shifting his eyes from person to person. "Oh come one! Who's making these people immortal? Imma' go sort this one out myself." Percy shifted into an angry column of smoke that took up the entire hallway. They couldn't believe it. Was he truly about to end someone's life?

"Oh for, Percy!" Jason rocketed after him. In their two centuries working together it wasn't unknown for Percy to completely lose his temper, but on the rare occasion that it happened, things usually tended to cease existing altogether. Reyna ran after than as fast as she could. Frank stayed behind with Hazel to keep a watch on Piper should she wake while everyone was seeing to the situation. Jason was watching from the ground. His hood up once again, not ready to have revealed himself to the rest of the legion just yet. Reyna caught up to him and wondered what was going on until he saw Percy walking through the many legionnaires that were standing before him. They parted with arms drawn against him, unsure of what to do with such a mysterious enemy.

"Do NOT attack him!" Reyna ordered but it was too late. It seemed that Octavian had other ideas. In the two hundred years they found it impossible to depose each other yet never grew close to one another. Two praetors that hated each other with a passion. Octavian had obviously ordered every unit under his command to kill the legacy. Before Percy could continue Apollo flashed into the pavilion standing before him and the immortal augur except it wasn't Apollo, not really, it was Phoebus, the roman Apollo. "You cannot kill my legacy." Was all the god told them sternly. Percy angrily rose to the height of the god before him. The smoky aura turned into a solid glow around his body.

"Can you do that?" Reyna whispered to Jason who shook his head. "Only the princes and princess." He whispered back, engulfed in what had happened. Given the situation however, Jason felt that he had enough power to take on a less powerful god in respect, such as Apollo/Phoebus. He didn't want to, but he felt that he could.

"Turn into your logical thinking self, I will it!" Percy boomed, pointing his finger at Phoebus who shimmered in the light and returned to his Greek self. The romans all gasped and shouting ensured. "Enough!" Percy bellowed. "Percy, you cannot expect me to simply let you kill my legacy. He was made immortal for a reason. Without Jason Grace to be the co-praetor of camp Jupiter, it would have fallen apart without another strong leader. While many hate Octavian he has played a part in keeping the camp going, whether you like to admit it or not." Apollo was nervous. Percy had so much power and as of yet he had only felt a small fraction of it, but now that Percy was angry, he knew exactly what was going to happen. Apollo realized that he was actually powerless to stop anything Percy wanted to do.

"That may be so but Jason Grace has returned. Octavian still holds power in his words and an unnatural hatred for the Greeks, he will stop the two camps from merging properly. He will be the sole downfall in the coming war. You know this as well as I do Apollo. With respect, he cannot be allowed to disrupt our plans any longer. If you wish to remain on this path of action then I solely apologize to you, but my princes will heed my call and you would wage war on the princes of the universe. Each one of us unimaginably more powerful than all of the Olympians combined." Percy told him. The power that he output was incredible. He could feel the eyes from Olympus watching down on them. He did not wish to take an aggressive approach to things, especially knowing that Artemis would be watching, what might she think of him?

"He's changed so much." Reyna watched with wide eyes. Jason shifted uncomfortably, he knew what was really going on.

"Actually he's exactly the same as he always has been, but everyone has a slightly darker side. When Percy can't hold it in anymore he changes for a brief amount of time. He gets so much more powerful it's unreal. I'm certain that he's by far the strongest of us, even more so than the combined fusion of the blood offspring of Chaos." Jason really didn't want to have to explain anything that he'd just told Reyna right now, because things were just getting good. Percy's sea green eyes had started to glow violently and were now providing a minor light source on the cobbled stone walkway of the pavilion.

"Fine, but I won't forget this Percy. Nor will I forget the bonds you have forged with my sister." Apollo left in an angry burst of light. It seemed that the sun had been bearing down on them with an intense ferocity since Apollo's presence there. Percy nodded at the sun and it returned to normal. "Thank you Apollo. You know deep down that it must be done for us to succeed." Percy muttered the prayer to him but deliberately left out anything to do with himself and Artemis. That posed a whole new set of problems for the two gods.

Percy approached the augur's location, where he would always be. Halfway across the camp from Reyna at almost all times. Percy flashed inside the shrine to Jupiter silently. He was at least as tall as the statue itself. Octavian was muttering quietly before he stabbed a plush panda. Percy remembered his panda that Octavian mutilated. Dick.

"Octavian. Co-Praetor of camp Jupiter. You are causing too many problems for the princes of the universe. Your immortality is being revoked and I sentence you to death. Fear not, you will given the choice of Asphodel or rebirth. No Elysium for this lifetime that you have led. Good luck." Horror filled Octavian's eyes at the unknown god standing before him. Percy lifted his arm and a beam of black smoke shot from his finger tips and impaled Octavian's vital organs. He died on the spot. Percy was not a cruel man and he truly wished he did not have to fulfil some of his duties, but now that the deed was done, he was free to pay his respects. He flashed back into the pavilion with the dead augur in his arms. He gritted his teeth and concentrated. In the distance a large tributary like grace was erected from the ground. It had the details of the dead praetor and a noted sacrifice for the upcoming war. Percy buried the man out of respect before turning back to those he came to see in the first place. "Now. Back to business." He clicked his fingers and they were all back inside Reyna's room. Piper was awake but dazed. She saw Jason's face and passed out once more. "Is she going ot keep doing that?" Percy sighed. Jason shrugged his shoulders with the 'I don't know, don't ask me.' Face.

Percy sighed once again before he downsized to human form and clicked his fingers. Piper shot awake and ran over to Jason, tackling him to the ground. They had a lot to catch up on. "Go, I will see you back at camp half blood. Inform my brothers that I am going to start bringing people over. Tell them I will call someone to help out." Percy smiled for once and Jason nodded. He was under no obligation to abide by any of the orders that any other prince told him, save for Reilly, but out of respect each of the lieutenants did so.

"Praetor Reyna, sole leader of camp Jupiter. We are merging the two demi-god camps. Not by orders from Olympus, but by my orders. To be formal." Percy waved his hands and the armour changed into a fine suit. Slim fit tailored grey trousers with a grey vest that showed a crisp white shirt that hung tightly form Percy's muscled frame. A dark sea green slim tie underneath. Polished black shoes that went perfectly with the suit.

"As I was saying." Most jaws had dropped. Reyna couldn't help it, Percy was just so drop-dead gorgeous. "To be formal. I am Percy Jackson, prince of the universe. I along with my three brothers and sister are Chaos' chosen. We are the leaders of the Vanguard. We lead Chaos' armies against any threats to the universe on a grand scale. Reyna didn't know what to say. Prince or no prince it was a bold move to combine the two camps. "Camp Half Blood has grown considerably since us princes last visited. We wish to merge the two camps. Half Blood and Jupiter. We are housing The Guardians that have grown in number underneath the camp in a special structure. We are housing The Hunters of Artemis in her own cabin and us Vanguardians are joining the camp as well. There is more than enough space for everyone and we are training everyone up. Tomorrow night we will be holding the largest game of capture the flag that we have ever attempted. Join us." Percy explained to her. The entire idea just excited the praetor and she couldn't deny such a handsome man. It was settled. Percy closed his eyes and pressed his hand to his temple. A second later they walked back out to the pavilion. In the distance of the sky overhead two more black plumes of smoke were billowing their way towards the camp. Dante and Reilly landed with grace. Well, Reilly landed with grace, Dante more or less crashed along the ground and forced himself up.

"Who are they?" Reyna prodded Percy's ribs. "My name is Reilly. Princess of the universe, daughter of Choas. It's an honour to meet you praetor Renya, daughter of Bellona." Reilly bowed deep. It gave Reyna a deep sense of satisfaction to witness that.

"Sup. Dante. Son of Hades, or er…" He stopped short.

"Pluto." Percy informed him.

"Right, Pluto. I've been told that Nico was around here at some point. He's a Guardian now, believe it or not. The little scrote." Dante chuckled. Reyna grimaced slightly.

"Yes. Mister Di'Angelo has been quite troublesome in the years after the second titanomacy. But that's a long time passed, I'm sure I can forgive him for the skittles." Reyna frowned deep lines across her face.

"Skittles?" Dante prompted worriedly.

"Don't ask." Percy waved it off. He knew exactly what Nico would have done given the opportunity. He remembered Nico telling him all those years ago what he wanted to do.

"So, when are we taking people over? I can take like forty at a time." Reilly told them. Dante agreed.

"Excellent, I'll take the rest then. Reyna if you could please gather everyone, we shall begin transporting everyone over to camp half blood." Percy issued the orders and the final movement had begun. Camp half-blood had the Greeks and the Guardians. The Hunters of Artemis were also there. The Romans were the last to be brought over. That gave everyone two days of training before they would finally start their monumental game of capture the flag.


	50. Training Day

**Chapter 50 – Training Day**

"Click click boom!" Dante was absent minded singing to himself. He was stood in front of one of the barracks of the legions. The cohorts had been informed of who the black warriors were and what was going on. None were too happy.

"Will you shut up?" One of the campers walked past casually. Dante thought nothing of it, in fact he liked someone who could look past titles and instead respect strength, and to be fair to them he had been singing rather badly for the past ten minutes.

"Whatever, you Romans ready to go to the other camp yet?" He stood up and walked inside the barracks. "Holy shit you guys are so much more organized than we were. Or at least, more organised than the rest of Camp Half Blood." Dante nodded with respect. Soon enough they were ready to go. Half way through the day everyone had been successfully transferred to Camp Half Blood. The arena was looking fairly cramped at this point. Hephaestus had been kind enough to broadcast a signal from the arena where Percy had begun to explain things.

"To whom it may concern. That's all of you by the way." Percy started which earned him a few dry chuckled. "What a shit joke." Ten complained mildly before allowing Percy to continue. "Campers form Half Blood and Jupiter are going to be mixed up into different classes. Follow your leaders and everything will be fine. I'm trying to keep things on a high note but make no mistake, we are preparing for war. The training will begin in a circuit and we'll do this for two days. Tomorrow night, capture the flag. Everyone will be participating, even Chiron." Percy nodded to the elder centaur who nodded. A few paled at that, they knew that he was old but even so, he was powerful and deadly with a bow.

"The greater Guardians will each teach a class. The Hunters of Artemis have something special planned. Boys best be on your guard and good luck, try not to die. The usual training sessions will be held for the campers here and us-" Percy pointed to the Vanguard. "Have a class that's only for the best of the best. Five campers from each camp will be chosen based on how you score in the other training sessions. Ours is not for the weak of heart. Gods will be tried and tested with our session." Percy's eyes darkened slightly along with his tone. Everyone knew not to take this lightly. Grif spoke up immediately.

"Not the gauntlet again!?" He had to support his knees. Whispers went through the crowd. A lieutenant had found it difficult? How could they possibly pass. "Of course. The gauntlet. We're going to push a few people through it just for fun as well. But serious competitors beware, it is dangerous should you fail." Percy lightened up again. "So let's begin." The Vanguards left in a spray of black plumes that funnelled out of the arena with grace. Thalia rolled her eyes and lightning'd out. The other two Guardians merely walked out, both children of Ares, they weren't one for theatricality.

* * *

"So what are we doing while everyone else trains?" Jason asked. Taz walked over.

"Training." Taz told him like it was obvious.

"But the question is." Dante leaned forwards with an evil grin on his face.

"Who's turn is it." Reilly continued.

"To be in charge of the training regime." Ten walked in with a sigh. He hated training regimes made by the demi gods before him. They were relentless. If there was a god for track and field, they would struggle with the sheer amount of cardio involved. Chaos ensued and shouting began. The lieutenants just watched wearily. If it was Taz, then it would be weight based, a lot of strength training involved. Dante was more of an endurance man, it would be hours of gruelling muscles stretching. Percy was the worst though, hours of high intensity nonstop elements of everything he could possibly thing of.

"There's only one way to settle this!" Reilly told them.

"Ro-Sham-Bo!" Apocalypse shouted with glee. The men turned to her with incredulous looks on their faces.

"No, Dante cheated last time." Ten complained, a sore loser to the end.

"Pfft, you just can't accept defeat three times over." Dante grumbled.

"Fine, how about a race? Winner gets to lead training for today." Reilly offered. Ever the bridge between distant brothers. Heads picked up.

"Game on bitches. First around the world." Dante was the first to leave the door. Followed by the entire Vanguard. They all left he freshly built Chaos cabin. Groups of all different people were milling around. Percy got that feeling of ethereal eyes on him. The gods were watching. A brief zap of light alerted them to Zeus' presence. His huge figure stood over by the big house. Eveyrone immediately bowed.

"Oh don't mind me. Just cheering on my boy." He shot bot Taz and Jason very proud looks. Percy wondered what might make Zeus come to camp half-blood like this. Then he noticed Hades step out of a shadow. "The same goes for me. Kick their asses Dante." Hades said less subtly. Percy knew what was coming next. Poseidon rose out of the lake next to the camp.

"You all bet on this race didn't you?" Percy was certain of it. Poseidon shrugged, "Of course. Now win me some drachma son." That beaming smile told Percy that it was about far more than just drachma, the gods truly wanted to know who was the most powerful. Most people had gathered around at this point.

"Ooh a foot race, I wanna join!" Travis and Connor shouted at the same time. Crouching either side of the Vanguards. Eyes narrowed. "We're flying around the world Stolls, it is not a footrace. It would take you several years to finish." Apocalypse told them. The sighed disheartedly before leaving.

"Something doesn't feel right." Dante muttered, the others agreed.

"On my marks." Dimitri's husky voice told them.

"Three."

"Ready."

"Two."

"Set."

"One!"

"Go!"

There race began, Percy, Taz and Reilly shot forwards and speeds that the gods struggled to follow. Ten shot upwards before turning and slamming into the ground. Dante never achieved elevation, due to the enchantment that the Stolls had put on Dante and Ten, they both failed at the starting line.

"Stolls, you're dead men when I finish this race!" Dante issued from the tree he had rocketed into. Dante ran into the clearing alongside Ten who had also escaped. The smoke was forming around them, a build-up of their power. Finally they were airborne. Dante was faster but Ten wasn't putting as much effort into it. Game on. The winner would be the one in charge of the most gruelling training session they had ever faced.


	51. Are We Having Fun Yet?

**Chapter 51 – Are We Having Fun Yet?**

The gods couldn't believe the power the princes were left to play around with, they were taking the entire situation with Chaos' evil for granted, how could they possibly be taking everything so light heartedly? Percy of course had taken the lead, but Reilly was close behind them. The sheer amount of power flowing through each of them was astounding. Taz's output had left streaks of pure energy in his wake, whereas Percy's instead of a pure black billowing smoke had begun to glow an ominous purple. The insides of his cape billowed with the creation and destruction of one thousand miniature galaxies. The sudden revelation of just how much power Percy had initially threw Reilly's concentration and she made the fatal mistake of letting it take over her mind. She pondered if Percy had become Chaos' chosen. To defeat the evil inside her being, there had to be a sacrifice, one that could only be made by pure selflessness. Could Percy be that one? The questions that she found herself asking had completely taken her focus from the race. "Step it up sweet cheeks!" Taz thundered past her at a startling speed, even for a prince. She realised just how long she'd been asking her questions. By now they were no doubt half way across the world. Dante and Ten had lagged for whatever reason but were fasts approaching her. Dante's aura, even from so far away was powerful, as much so as Percy's. Someone had angered the son of Hades.

Where Dante and Ten were flying near each other Ten struggled to keep the pace that Dante had set. He himself was unsure of what was going on. 'Remember son of Hades, your unbridled rage can be both a blessing and a curse, you should know by now the appropriate time to use this.' He heard a sweet voice inside his mind, was that Lady Artemis? Yes, he remembered now. All that time ago when they saved Olympus from Kronos. She had told him the same thing. His potential like his brothers was endless. His power couldn't be limited but he could be blinded by rage, unable to distinguish friend from foe. He had to be careful, but right now his rage could come in handy for him to catch up to the others.

His black smoke turned into a raging fiery comet that propelled him even further. He hated the fact that the mist would make mortals see something entirely less awesome. He could now see Reilly ahead of him. He'd caught up that fast? Unbelievable. He billowed past her, certain that she'd tried to say something, but he was too far gone to hear anything.

Reilly stopped dead, afraid of what might happen. The other princes knew of the very rare occasions when Dante lost his rag, he'd become so angry that any memory of his rage induced rampages was gone. He'd never known of a time where he'd lost control, but the rest of them knew. They had to control him quickly. Reilly waited for Ten to catch up. There was one way they could match Dante's power in order to calm him down.

"He's doing it again." Reilly told Ten when he reached her.

"I know. We must fuse." Ten's attitude was only ever serious in dire situations, so for him to be like this already it shocked Reilly, it must have been worse than she believed at first. Well, it seemed that the gods and campers were about to get a taste of real power. They'd see a power fight between two of the less powerful Vanguards. They didn't actually know who was the most powerful, none but Reilly after seeing Percy in his relaxed state, but if Reilly and Ten fused, their minds would become one and when they split he would know of her recent discovery. The race was no doubt nearing the finish by now. Ten and Reilly fused, their power multiplied and their bodies turned into an entirely different being. In two centuries none of the Vanguards had found an appropriate name for this new being. The power of its sheer existence shook the Earth.

They all reached a hundred miles from the opposite side of camp Half Blood and they had all reached the same point. Percy still in the lead but with Dante hot on his heels. Taz was watching, suddenly aware of Dante's flowing anger. Something had set him off and he hadn't been able to recall it. The fusion between Ten and Reilly had caught up at last. They were right upon camp Half Blood and their re-entry was alarming. The gods didn't know what to do. Percy won the race of course but once Dante landed they could see the distorted expression, he was fighting with himself which meant that he hadn't lost all of his senses. Artemis and Hades were the only others ones to understand what was happening. Taz formed a brief prison out of lightning that flowed and cracked around them. It wouldn't hurt Dante in any way, but give him some room to breathe. The fusion dropped and eyed everyone wearily. "Percy!" Dante gritted his teeth over the sounds of himself raging internally. Everyone knew what he was asking.

It was no secret among them, if Dante lost control completely, he had to be stopped, Percy was the only one strong enough to do it properly without harming any others. "I can take you to Tartarus, that's where the least damage will be done." Percy nodded. Thalia run up to him and ignored everyone else. She ran straight through the lightning prison to which Taz growled and grumbled about not even a child of the lightning god should be able to do. But he let her. "Dante, listen to me! You have to calm down. It's me Thalia!" She pleaded. The fire in his eyes died ever so slightly, she was actually getting through to him.

The fusion who had been standing there arms crossed, looking cool with itself was shocked. The sheer power emanating from Dante was reclining. "Impossible!" It was shocked. The joint voices of Ten and Reilly answered in complete synchronisation.

"Well slap my ass and call me Nancy." Luke said casually with surprise. Apocalypse pinched his bum and whispered Nancy in his ear which made him squeal ever so slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to do it, much less A-poc.

"That's right, calm down, it'll be alright." Thalia waved off the lighting with a lot of effort. After getting rid of much of the temporary prison, Taz clicked his fingers and the rest went. Thalia teleported herself and Taz far away from any of the campers.

"Well, that went down better than any of us could have expected." Grif noted with a genuine smile.

"How was that good in any way?" Hades growled at the lieutenant with the blazing orange skin.

"To put it simply Lord Hades." Percy stepped up to answer. "If Dante loses control, he blacks out, the rage blinds him completely. We lost a good number of our own soldiers before we could stop him last time. It wasn't his fault of course, but to have settles him down like this, it's gold dust basically." Percy sent a smile to his uncle. Hades regarded this with a grunt before he rescinded to the underworld with a shadow engulfing his godlike body.

"If that's all." Zeus agreed with Hades' exit and flashed to Olympus.

"Well done my son. You've made me proud once again." Poseidon's smile eradiated joy at his son's victory.

"Well, as soon as we get Dante back, the training will begin." Percy smiled evilly at the Vanguard who let out a joint moan.


	52. Percy Pulls Ahead

**Chapter 52 – Percy Pulls Ahead **

"What the fu-" Slap. Right across Dante's face.

"And that was for?" He asked the Guardian with the short spikey black hair.

"For the curse you were about to spout." Thalia pouted before locking her lips with Dante's.

"And that?" He asked when they broke away.

"I didn't fight and search for you over two centuries to have you come back just as a friend. I'm allowed to flaunt this." Thalia smiled at him. He had a different light about him and during the time that he'd come back, they hadn't had any time to themselves. He observed her with a look that she'd missed for the past two hundred years. Thalia blinked and when she opened her eyes he was right next to her, a breath separated the two, and Thalia could feel Dante's hot breath on her face. Never in her life had she been so turned on by him, and she could tell that he was barely trying.

"Hmm. Maybe we should get back to camp." A sudden thought struck him, he teleported them both back, unaware of how much time had passed since he'd gone off the grid. His fellow Vanguardians were all there though, awaiting his arrival.

"Can we begin training now?" Dimitri asked. The only one of the leuitenants to get aroused over training. Dante didn't actually know that, but he assumed that if anyone of them would fal into such a category, it would be Dimitri.

"Let's go. Slight warm up. 1000 push ups." Percy told them. Artemis was close by with her hunters. Phoebe was, with detest, showing a group of Apollo's children how to effectively navigate a manticore attack. Artemis glanced over to the Vanguardians, like most of the camp were doing here and there. '1000 push ups' she'd heard Percy tell them. A few smiles were pulled, he wasn't joking, and this truly was a small warm up for them. After ten minutes had passed they had each completed their set objective. "Someone tell Apollo not to be so damn joyful all the time, the sun is unbearable today." Dante complained, removing his top and cloak. He remained in his leather black pants and boots, but it didn't help much.

"That's because you're on fire." Grif pointed out to his prince. Dante doused himself with ease and was returned to his natural state. Ten had disrobed to the same state as Dante. Everyone else had opted to stay clothed, they weren't as much of show offs as the former two.

On Dante's body, everyone could clearly see some black tattoos around his shoulders and arms, but the most distinct one was a golden scorpion that reached down into the waist band of his trousers. Artemis cursed them for causing her girls to ogle, but deep down she herself couldn't blame them, she'd become a hypocrite of the ages.

"OK. Sparring, partner up. Equal strength. So I guess, Reilly, you and me. Ten and Dante. Taz and Dimitri. Jason and Grif and finally Luke and Apocalypse." Percy concealed his delight at the last coupling. He'd done that on purpose and hadn't done it in a descending order of strength, except for him and Reilly being the strongest there was.

"Ah." Percy heard Luke whisper faintly. Apocalypse looked indifferent as always. Chiron was sitting with mister D who'd been assigned another four hundred years as camp director. Percy found that utterly hilarious. There truly was no better punishment for someone like Mr. D.

Artemis had decided to sit with Chiron and Mr. D. As the three of them were the oldest and wisest in the camp she decided that she could get away with staring from over there.

"I have heard some scandalous rumours about you Lady Artemis." Dionysus told her from the side of the table. There was a half played board game that he'd clearly given up on after losing terribly to Chiron much like he always did.

"What might they be?" Artemis almost growled at the wine god. She didn't need this, especially not after the time she'd spent with Percy on Chaos' realm. They had almost become a real couple, but not before Percy had to remind her of her own vows to forego intimacy with men. He was so unique, that he'd been the one to remember that instead of her. She never wanted something so badly form a man that she couldn't get from anyone else, and yet she found herself obeying Percy's wishes to bide her time.

"That you and Johnson-"

"Jackson."

"Whatever. Are a budding romance. Isn't that cute Chiron?" Dionysus asked. Chiron never said a word. Wise move centaur, Artemis thought. But truthfully, even had he managed to insult her she couldn't have turned Chiron into anything, he was only half a man, and that half a man was completely decent.

"The rumours are what they are. Rumours, spread around, probably by my idiotic godly brother." Artemis responded coolly.

"But now through recent events, it's become evident that two of your demi-god brothers have ascended to stages beyond gods. Sure, they serve the primordial god of creation, but there's none higher than Lady Chaos. So what of Jackson I must insist you tell me." Dionysus' eyes were piercing and she couldn't hold her gaze.

"He is no lowly man by any mean. If I truly must be serious about this to get a serious answer then so be it. Percy Jackson was always different as a child and teenager. Two hundred years down the line, he and his cousins have trained solidly and his morals never wavered." Artemis looked at Dionysus sharply. She'd head him being 'serious' only a few times in existence, but whenever he did, he was no wrogn.

"For what it is worth m'lady, Percy Jackson is the perfect example of the exact opposite that you preach your hunters to be wary of. I can sense you know this as well. Who do you honestly believe commands that Vanguard?" That question caught her off guard. Before she could answer, Dionysus continued.

"Dante? Too immature. The son of Chaos? He doesn't truly care about what happens. He will fight for what he's told to fight for, there is no real purpose for him yet. He will find one soon though, I promise you that. The daughter of Chaos? She only remains in the Vanguard for a man that she can never have. Tazman? Good heart in that one, but your younger brother is not a natural leader, he prefers to receive orders. Percy Jackson is the one that takes charge in dire times. You have not seen of the boy the same that I have." There was a moment of silence after Dionysus' speech before he continued.

"Ask the boy what you truly wish to know, he would tell you of all people." Dionysus clicked his fingers and disappeared in a flash of purple. There was a faint smell of grape wine in the air when he left. Artemis was truly shocked by this, she had no words that could sum up exactly how right Dionysus had been. Artemis glanced over to the Vanguards. Chiron was silent as he had been moments before. The darkness was quickly crowding over the camp. This time tomorrow night, the entire camp would engage in the biggest game the gods had ever seen. Artemis herself was to be taking part. She got the feeling that other gods would join in as well, seeing Artemis' involvement as an unfair advantage on some campers. Almost as if Chiron had read her mind.

"The big three are coming for the games. They are few who are aware of the true power those Vanguards hold. Ten warriors verses two demi-god camps. One hundred immortal Guardians. Thirty two immortal hunters of Artemis and Artemis herself." Chiron looked quizzically at the campers around him.

"My Lady without being disrespectful?" It was a question to her. Artemis nodded, of course she would always hear out the old centaur.

"Even with the aid of all twelve Olympians." Chiron's brow darkened incredibly.

"You have no chance of success." The words sent a chill down Artemis spine and she remembered that each and every one of the Vanguard had been surpressing their energies for nearly two centuries. She felt a wave of cold rush over her once again when she thought about how strong their enemy was. The evil of the creator of the universe. Of course that was bound to be someone powerful. As if Percy had heard her thoughts he looked over to her as she grabbed her clothes a little bit tighter around her. They looked eyes for a moment and when Percy smiled at her as clear as day from half way across the camp, the board game on the table floated into the air and turned into a perfectly sustained hearth from which Artemis and Chiron could keep warm. Her heart fluttered when she realized that he'd done that just for her with a simple gaze in her direction.


	53. Capture The Flag

**Chapter 53 Capture The Flag**

"Hey where's…" Percy began but his heightened senses alerted him to something that was strictly forbidden in camp. He knocked on the door to Luke's compartment. There weren't many in the Chaos cabin today, the others were mostly out training. Ten was looking for Apocalypse so that he could start the brief and battle plan for the night games. The Vanguard didn't actually need a battle plan, most of what they'd done was actually just improvising and it'd never gone wrong for them in the past.

"Apocalypse. Ten wants you for the battle plan." Percy said calmly from the outside of Luke's room. A few seconds later and a mumbled groan Luke came to the door, half dressed. "Huh, A-poc's room is over there Perce." He tried to put on his straight face.

"Pfft, like you can lie." Percy laughed as he walked away. Luke was dumbfounded, he turned his back and leant against the now closed door. "He knows." Luke's face constricted into a laugh. Apocalypse looked at him with a huge glare from the bed where she was wrapped in Luke's covers.

"I hate you." She whispered before collapsing down and covering herself in her own shame. Luke found this hilarious and simply went to go and use the shower. The day was soon coming to the capture the flag section of things.

000

Taz was being shown around the Guardian's base of operations. He was impressed by the progress that three beings had made from the motivation of only two. Thalia and Clarisse had the drive to succeed and find the princes, but War had been pleased to do as his younger sister asked him to all these years. In two centuries, War had only gotten that much bigger and stronger. He'd turned down godhood four times since becoming a Guardians. Ares apparently wasn't bothered by it either way, because with godhood War would soon become just as powerful as the god of war himself.

Taz played around with the title of that, 'War, minor god of war' it seemed awesome but confusing. War turned down godhood with the sheer intention of remaining doing what he loved. Making and quelling war, it was his namesake and as long as he continued to maintain his role as a greater Guardian, he needed nothing else.

"If I may ask a question?" War asked, after they reached a big room with a rotunda and a raised platform. This must have been their central base. Taz noticed many air vents around this room. If he so needed to escape quickly, he could turn into smoke and fly out. It was a very handy trick, aside from being their main form of transport when they didn't have to teleport.

"Of course." Taz found it nerve wracking that he had to look up to see someone's face. War had grown to above seven feet now, and it was a shocking sight to see someone so much bigger than him.

"How powerful are the Vanguardians?" War turned to him suddenly.

"I'll answer that in just a second. How many Guardians do you have?" Taz turned to face him completely. War was far above any of these other Guardians, but then he was a greater Guardian, even so, he was extremely powerful. He was immortal as was the others.

"We have approximately one hundred Guardians here, except for myself, Thalia and Clarisse. We are never stationed in one place. This is our biggest hub, directly underneath camp Half Blood. After the second titan war, we branched out. We have Greek and Roman Guardians. No discriminations." War answered him flawlessly.

"One hundred here, so how many Guardians do you have in total?" Taz pursued his final show of power.

War thought to himself for a moment, as if crunching an exact number, "Five hundred and eight. So including the greater Guardians, there are five hundred and eleven Guardians in total."

"That's very impressive. So to answer your original question. Percy could wipe out ever single Guardian by clicking his fingers." Taz smiled easily as Clarisse came over. She'd been working on something or other to do with the big screen directly facing the rotunda.

"There's a pretty dire situation. A group of demi-gods have been cornered in North Dakota. They weren't going to make it here on their own anyway. Fancy coming along?" Clarisse asked, looking up at Taz and her brother.

"Sure. Could be fun. To North Dakota." Taz laughed casually before clicking his fingers. He and Clarisse were suddenly in North Dakota, like she'd said.

"That was strange. And fast. Gods we're here already. You don't want backup?" Clarisse asked incredulously.

"No, why would I?" Taz answered seriously.

"Never mind. I can feel the demi-gods aura this way." She began but Taz picked her up by the waist and lifted themselves into the air.

"Yeah, so can I, come one." He told her as they sped across the skyline until they reached an old urban neighbourhood. That looked completely rundown and covered in gang signs. In the road there were four children all back to back. In the streets there were waves of Empousa stalking towards them.

"I wonder what the mist is showing." Clarisse muttered.

"A gang converging upon another gang." Taz responded. Able to see whatever he needed to see. He plummeted them to the ground, causing the concrete to crack.

"Look, I cannot be bothered to fight today, yet if I have to, I will slaughter you al within the blink of an eye. So be gone monsters." Taz told them all clearly. They hissed at him and advanced on him instead.

"So be it." Taz sighed, "Go take the children to camp half blood." He said casually. When the first Empousa was within reach Taz just punched it in the face. The monster was thrown back through the other ranks of advancing monsters. The corpse of the monster was steaming and barely turning into dust.

"So this is how it's going to be huh?" Taz lazily reached his hand towards the sky and a great number of lightning strikes decimated every monster in the street. Sighing once more he walked over to the group.

"Ready to go?" He asked them all. Clarisse couldn't help but look at him lovingly. They travelled back to the camp and handed the kids over to Chiron who did his thing.

Percy soon found them, "Taz, come on. Night time briefing. Capture the flag is upon us." Percy told him. Both of them lit up with a new found excitement. They must have played capture the flag a lot on Chaos' realm, except their teams would have been against a multitude of armies all at once. Clarisse knew from the expressions that the Vanguardians always won.

Everyone gathered in the arena, but while the arena was big, it wasn't a coliseum like the new addition to camp Jupiter. The Guardians were being represented by the three Greater Guardians so that they could save space.

Before Chiron could detail everything the Vanguardians were talking amongst themselves.

"Are the Olympians joining in as well?" Luke asked, breaking the awkward silence. It was only awkward for Luke and Apocalypse who were getting humorous looks from Percy.

"Only the big three. There may be other combatants, but I do not know." Dante responded. But that was still the big three, who between themselves had managed to once defeat Kronos in his titan form.

"So we have to defeat the big three, Artemis and her hunters. One hundred Guardians plus the three main Guardians, and who else? Oh yeah, and entire camp of demi-gods comprised of both Greek and Roman origins that spans to about four hundred kids? Oh nice. It's definitely going to be a game to remember." Grif responded with glee. He'd never fought with a god before but he was eager.

Right as he said that a lightning bolt hit the earth and there stood in human form, Zeus.

"Father." Taz walked to greet him. The entire camp save for other gods and the Vanguardians bowed. Zeus allowed the absence of respect form the latter as they were actually above the gods of Olympus. Just.

"You are to be fighting tonight?" Taz asked him, just to confirm what Dante had told them. Zeus nodded with a smile. "I am. So are the rest of the Olympians. Save for Hestia and Dionysus. He claims to have a very nice shirt that he does not want to dirty." Zeus laughed.

"And Lady Hestia?" Taz asked.

"Hestia is no fighter. She would not even if you forced it upon her." Zeus responded casually. The gods began to come as they were, dressed and ready for battle. Because of the time between their arrivals Zeus had told the campers to stop bowing tonight, it was getting annoying. Poseidon rose out of the waters, in his godly form and Zeus scolded him for it, they weren't to assume godly form until they were ready to play.

"Apollo is here. And I have to say that he has a much better entrance than all of you." Grif said immaturely. Apollo arrived in a flaming sports car, ray bans donned. He hopped out of the car and the minute he left, it disappeared. The sky returned to darkness. All the mortals would have seen was a solar flare brightening their night sky for a few minutes.

"Sup." He nodded at the hunters of Artemis who all looked at him with disgust. "Well whatever." He shrugged, making his way over to the other gods.

"We fighting or what?" He asked them casually.

"Capture the flag. It's literally everyone verses the Vanguard." Hades told him darkly. He had been waiting for this for too long.

"In these woods?" Apollo asked him incredulously.

"Of course not. We are going to take you all to Chaos' realm where we will make a forest big enough for us to play the games." Percy told him. Apollo mouthed the word 'oh' before he winked at them. This was a much needed night for them all. Once every god had appeared. Thalia whistled loudly and soon they were surrounded by Guardians.

"So." Percy began. Taking centre stage. No one complained when he did. "Tonight we will be played capture the flag. We will be playing in a personal realm, ruled by Lady Chaos. The primordial of creation." Percy clicked his fingers and when he did a man stepped out of a purple lightning bolt.

"Sup?" The man asked.

"Didn't you just say LADY Chaos?" Apollo asked, removing his sunglasses.

"I did indeed. Chaos why are you a man?" Percy asked casually.

"Oh, right." Chaos clicked some fingers and turned into her original self.

"Why did you just do that?"

"Because I can."

"That's not a valid excuse."

"Then how about; because I can?"

"…"

"That's what I thought. Carry on Percy." Chaos grinned immaturely before sitting with her Vanguard. Everyone looked stunned at what had just happened except the Vanguard.

"What the hell?" Apollo asked Dante who was stood apart from everyone else.

"Turns out Lady Chaos is quite the joker. She likes to pull jokes on Percy of all people. She does this like three or four times a year." Dante responded casually.

Apollo mouthed 'oh' once again before he realised that they had been serving Chaos for over two hundred years. The amount of pranks they had been through would have made Hermes proud.

"The pranks and jokes intensified tenfold when Percy recruited Luke though. An immortal son of Hermes. It's been a fun couple of centuries." Dante grunted with amusement. Apollo made a mental note to tell Hermes later.

"We will create a forest big enough for us to play when we get there." Percy told the group, but Chaos interrupted him once again.

"Already done it." She smiled again.

"OK, we just need to teleport everyone there now." Percy continued.

"Already on it." Chaos' grin couldn't get any wider when she saw Percy's expression at the ten foot portal she had created in a clearing of the camp.

"Everyone, just go." Percy pointed at the portal. Ignoring Chaos' commented. He himself refused to use the portal and opted for teleporting using his own powers. The forest Chaos had created was immense. Once everyone was there, Percy began once again to address them all.

"Because of the sheer size of the groups. We're having three flags per side, each in different locations. The teams. Everyone versus the Vanguard. Any questions?" Percy asked them.

"Who's attacking first?" Zeus asked him.

"Us." Now go. You have five minutes to get yourselves settled." Percy grinned as his own team turned to plant their flags. Five minutes had passed and Chaos, who had somehow managed to change into skin tight short shorts and a referee's t-shirt had blown a whistle that was loud enough for both teams to hear. Shortly after they all heard her shout, "Master weapons allowed!" Percy laughed at the thought of Zeus needing to depend on his master bolt to be able to do anything helpful. Everyone split up into groups and the carnage truly began.


	54. Unexpected Situations

**Chapter 54 – Unexpected Situations**

"Something something, _DANGER ZONE!" _Dante shouted. Percy shot him a glare, he always did this when he was about to do something stupid.

"So yeah, everyone split. Anyone wanna' defend our flags? No doubt you'll see action, we're not trying to permanently harm any participants so some will no doubt get through us. Split five and five. Taz and Ten, defend with your lieutenants plus Grif. Myself, Reilly, Dante, Luke and Jason will attack this round. Next round we'll switch, the same teams but for defending. Sound good? Good." Percy was the first to leave, his body turned into water and he swept across the forest, probably as a stream that would be unknown to any aside form Poseidon.

**Luke's Attack**

Luke ran through the bushes. He came across a patrol of Guardians. Twelve of them he counted. They must have been an elite fighting force. He knew that everyone would be on edge for this game, so he couldn't help himself. He jumped out of the bush, "BOO!" He screamed, a few of them scattered and the rest of them took a moment to understand what had happened. Luke nearly keeled over with laughter at their expressions. Their helmets soon materialized and their battle hardened mode came on. It turned out that Nico and Leo Valdez were the leaders of this elite group. Luke suddenly sobered up, he'd really picked the wrong team to scare. Nico charged but fell into a shadow a second later. Luke ducked and rolled out of the way of Nico's Stygian iron sword.

The armour was unfitting for Nico but Luke wasn't one to pick about it. His armour was black and could turn into smoke. Luke pulled out his blade that was made of sunshine. A running joke between him and Percy, the blade glinted, and was made from Imperial gold. He sidestepped Leo's strike and punched his elbow guard, causing the still armed Leo to pirouette and strike down a number of his own. Laughing, Luke continued to run forwards. No doubt he'd have to fight a god sooner or later and just as his thoughts had wandered to that fact, he cursed Chaos for making the game an open invitation sort of thing.

Luke kicked Nico's visor with an effective jump before turning to smoke mid-air and flying away from the disarrayed group. He set down in a clearing where he couldn't feel anyone else's presence.

In the clearing just before him was not an Olympian, but the minor god of wisdom and architecture. Annabeth stood guarding a flag alongside Athena AND Ares. How unfair was that? Before he needed to say anything he felt Dante's presence right next to him. "What's the plan?" Luke turned before realising that Dante hadn't even stopped next to him, he continued through the clearing. His trusted war blade on his arm. Luke rolled his eyes, Dante didn't need any help, he decided to go and aggravate Artemis for what it was worth.

**Dante's Attack – POV**

Haha, so many little demi-gods. I ran through the forest, not wanting to use my powers to navigate. Running is good enough for me, and there's no better way to manually work up the adrenaline. I just have to remember not to get angry this time. I wonder who I'll run into first, in terms of people that I know and gods. Ooh, I hope its Ares, I want to kick his ass so badly for the time he shot me in my own.

I ran through the woods, jumping high over pieces of fallen trees. An entire legion of Roman's had set an elaborate trap that I'd run right into, literally. A thousand spears all launched at my face at the same time. It was an awesome trap, it really was, but it'd be no fun to be caught out so soon. I watched as they came near before moving with incredible speed and launching a dead tree in the air above me and using it as a shield. When the smoke cleared from around me, I noticed that they were looking at me shocked. "Heh, sorry guys." I said sympathetically before bringing out my twin daggers. After a brief twirl around my fingers I set them ablaze and swiped at the air. I sent waves of fire raining down upon the legion in front of me. Decimating their defence.

"Well, time for more." I grinned, bolting past the groaning Romans. That WAS fun, but I need a bigger challenge, someone who's had the same amount of time to train than I have. I need an immortal- WHAT THE FUCK!? IS THAT A DRAGON!? Wait a second. Frank Zhang can shift into dragon. We've locked eyes.

"For what it's worth, you look just as cute when you're a bunny." I winked at him before teleporting elsewhere. He's guarding a flag but I have no interest in the people guarding that particular place. I know what the gods have done. They had purposely put our loved ones guarding the flags. They're going to try and call us out on it.

I know what Athena's mind is like, after knowing Annabeth for so long. They'll have put Thalia, Clarisse and Artemis guarding a flag each. Bounding through the bushes I notice Luke has just beaten the crap out of Nico and Leo. That's hilarious, I'm kinda sorry that I didn't get to do it myself though. On the plus side, I've found a flag. Jumping through the clearing I can feel a few gods hidden around. I'm certain that Hephaestus has lined the edge of the area with imperial golden automatic nets, and… Yeah, I'm swinging upside down in a gold net. Captured just by the ankle. Annabeth has finally noticed me swinging by the ankle. She surely can't be the only one guarding the, oh wait, look, it's Athena.

"Hello to you to." She says with a sour expression, can she read my mind?

"Yeah, we all can." Ares said, walking out of a bush. Thalia zapped in from a lightning bolt.

Ares in a pink tutu.

"Hmm." He said with pursed lips. I clicked my fingers so that the gods could no longer read my thoughts.

"That's no fun." Annabeth said, stalking towards me. I looked around, my cape nearly touching the floor. That's not cool, this thing is dry wash only. I managed to look at my captive's work with a single perfect form ab crunch. I pulled my daggers back out of my back holsters and forced my stomach up, a quick swipe decimated the golden net. Luke has already left me here. Nice. I can handle these guys on my own anyway.

I flipped mid-air but before I hit the ground, I turned to smoke and vanished. Shadow travel, love it!

"Psst." I taunted them eagerly.

I popped out of the ground after it stopped being fun. "Ready to lose son of Hades?" Ares prompted.

"Ready to wear that pink tutu?" I countered just as seriously, wielding my daggers to show that the fight was upon us. He simply growled. Thalia summoned a lightning bolt to strike me down but I evaded, just in time to dodge the two spears that were thrown at the exact same time. I appeared a second later with a reverse kick to the back of Annabeth's legs and a palm to her collarbone that shook her off balance completely. The same technique worked wonders for her mother. Both wisdom gods had been disabled which left an angry god of War and an angry girlfriend. I'm not sure which one I'm more afraid of. Ares swiped his huge sword in my direction but I was so much faster that I actually jumped and landed on the behemoth blade while he was mid-swing.

"You got a lot of training to do big guy. I could teach you, but there's no guarantee that I won't shoot you in the flank just to get my point across." I teased him before sliding down the blade and kicking him in the face so hard that he was knocked out. I ran from my roll and grabbed the first flag. "You want it back?" I asked Thalia with a wink. She growled and tackled me with a speed that I hadn't expected from her.

I'd underestimated her. "You are so… Getting something else when we get home." She broke out before kissing me. I was too stunned to say anything. She promptly filled my body with all of the lightning in the universe. It was too much for me to handle, I feel into an unconscious sleep. Shit.

**Reilly and Jason's Attack – Third Person**

"Hurry up Jason." Reilly hissed. They both ran straight through the vegetation like it was merely air. They knew that Percy was going straight down the middle, and that Luke and Dante had both veered left, so they were going to go for the flag on the right. They stopped a few minutes after they heard a thunderous roar.

"So er, it's probably Frank. He's got the ability to turn into a dragon." Jason told her like it was a casual thing.

"You should have informed me of that sooner." She said, thought she wasn't angry with him by any means. It didn't really make much of a difference, and he was only telling her so that she didn't mistake him for a monster and slaughter him. He was immortal however, so he would reform, but not for a decade at most.

They walked silently, weapons drawn. Reilly had two whips that extended into a cruel metal chain made from tendrils of purple and black vapour. Metal chain was the best way to describe it. It was a chain link whip made from vapour.

She held one in each hand as they ran through the clearing.

The grey dragon raised its head at them for a brief moment. Right behind them were two well-known immortals. Piper, and Reyna on Scipio. "Ah, not good. Apollo ran through the edge of the clearing. Reilly instantly turned heel and increased her size to match the god. Within the blink of an eye she had broken his defence and sent a knee into his jaw, toppling the immature god within an instant.

"Hey Piper, you know you want to give us your flag and not get hurt." Jason told her. Running forwards. Frank (The dragon) pushed his head forwards to unleash a burst of fire but he missed, by a huge margin, because Jason had already scaled Frank's head and trailed his neck, unfortunately Hazel showed up on Arion. Jason cursed his luck before being forced to engage in his more powerful tactics. He made a grab for the flag and stunned everyone when he beat the horse to it.

"Want it back daughter of Pluto? Gotta catch me first." Jason grinned. He disappeared in a flash of black smoke that left a metallic taste in the air.

"Please tell me he's not _running._" Piper almost fainted at just how much Jason could escape her if she ever cornered him into having a conversation that he didn't want to have.

"Well, if he was flying, there would have been a sonic boom. Cao." Reilly clicked her fingers. Joining Jason back at their own half. A flag at their base.

"That was a little disappointing, I'm not going to lie." Jason said with a bitter taste left in his mouth. He'd swallowed a number of bugs travelling along the dirt path.

"Yes but they have that horse. We'll have to be vigilant to make sure the horse doesn't steal our flags before we can even blink." Reilly said grimly.

**A/N: The very next chapter will be Percy's attack. He'll be facing a number of people and expect a seriously OP Percy Jackson. Also a Pertemis heavy chapter as the plot will advance. Hope you guys enjoy it.**


	55. Percy Shows True Power

**Chapter 55 – Percy Shows True Power**

Percy casually strolled down the middle of the battlefield whistling the tune to Serious Sam. He didn't know why, but it had been stuck in his head for the past few days. He quickly got confirmation from Taz that Reilly and Jason had recovered one of the three flags, but also that Dante had been knocked unconscious. Percy had to do a double take at that. Dante was one of the tougher ones, it disturbed him greatly that he would have been overpowered already. Was Chaos playing sides again? Percy found Luke running into the clearing.

"Luke. Have you seen Dante?" Percy asked him casually. Maintaining his leisurely strolling pace. Luke turned his eyes wide until he noticed that it was only Percy.

"Yeah, he went after the left flag, why?" Luke asked suddenly.

"I think someone's playing tricks because Dante's been knocked out cold. You need to go and recover him and that flag. I reckon Thalia took him by surprise, you know what he's like, a sucker for that woman." Percy chuckled easily. Luke nodded and turned into smoke before flying back the way he'd come. Percy continued down the middle before noticing his final destination. The last flag was the most heavily defended. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Artemis. There were others. The gods from the right flank that had lost their flag. Numerous demi-gods. A ton of campers, even Chiron himself was in the huge clearing wielding a dark bow. This would be fun. He seriously couldn't understand how Dante had been done over until he revealed himself to the group. Down by the flag was Dante's sleeping body. Thalia noticed Percy's look of confusion. She winked and blew a kiss that turned into a pure arch of electricity. It was only then that Percy understood that she'd filled his body with energy and taken him by surprise, truly a tactic that would overwhelm even the strongest of them.

Percy noticed Chaos sitting up in a tree watching with glee, she'd enjoy this almost as much as he would. Looking back to the stunned campers and the anxious Guardians he simply flicked his wrist. "Come get some." He yelled with a chuckle before turning into a huge black wave that knocked them all off their feet. Once he reformed he snapped his fingers and a thin layer of purple mist had covered the fallen enemies. They were all knocked unconscious. Only Chiron and the gods remained.

"Let's cut the crap shall we? It'll take all of you to even remotely make me work for that flag and sleeping idiot." Percy grinned. Artemis and her hunters released a volley of arrows but Percy simply wasn't there anymore. He had one by one disabled every hunter he'd come across, only leaving Artemis out of it. A second later he turned on the other gods, the big three were his next targets. Zeus angrily zapped his master bolt around the battlefield. Percy donned Anaklusmos and tore straight through the middle of the clearing within the blink of an eye and feigning and uppercut before fading and reappearing behind Zeus with and elbow to the back of the neck that knocked the king of the gods unconscious.

Hades was next, he was unfortunate enough to actually be hit with Percy's sword. The god of the dead was too slow for him, and received a nasty cut across the chest. It wasn't deep enough to cause harm however, it simply angered him as he knew Percy was playing with him. Another strike that Percy dodged before he grabbed Hades by the head and slammed it against his own. Percy felt nothing but adrenaline whereas Hades was rendered unconscious too.

Percy turned towards his own father now. The god of the seas growled with anticipation to take on his extremely powerful son. The trident was raised and Percy felt like making a statement, he let himself get close enough to it and once Poseidon had launched it at him Percy grabbed it mid air and spun it around. Feeling the power of the seas course through him he turned his father's own domains against him. The combined power of the ocean rushed out of the trident and knocked Poseidon unconscious. Percy made sure to put the trident back in his father's grip so that he would recover quickly. He spun on his heel only to come face to face with Artemis who saw the perfect opportunity to quickly kiss him. He didn't mind but what surprised him the most was her warm tongue quickly wrapping around him. She wanted him badly but Percy knew now wasn't the time. He pulled away only to see her godly pout. He chuckled before pointing to the trees above them where Chaos giggled with glee. Artemis' cheeks burned bright before Percy grabbed the flag and kicked his brother in the ribs until he awoke.

"Come on, game's over." Percy announced as he teleported back to his side. Everyone regrouped outside the forest where the desert was in clear view, alongside the palace of Taz, Dante and Chaos herself. Percy had his underwater not far from here.

"Good game guys, good game. Back to Camp. We have a day or so before that blasted Angel returns." Percy's voice darkened ever so slightly. They were prepared of course but the entire thing was going to be difficult.

Line Break.

The next day at camp everyone had been given free time to do what they pleased before dinner. It was after that that they expected the Angel to near the Earth. Chaos had finally explained the entire situation to everyone. It was dire indeed. Chaos herself couldn't fight, for she was in the end, still a primordial in slumber. This was why there was a Vanguard though.

The Vanguard were sat around the campfire just discussing the crazy adventures they'd been on in the past two centuries. Luke and Apocalypse sat next to each other which Percy was glad to see. Dante was sat closer to the fire, manipulating it every now and them to form shapes. Grif and Dimitri were playing chess like they often did. Reilly and Ten were fighting about something a little ways down the beach but it was a family thing and no one, not even Percy dared get involved when this happened. They highly expected the fusion to make an appearance during their final fight, but who knew. Jason and Taz were talking idly, enjoying the warmth of their final fight.

"You all know what the prophecy says." Percy broke the comfortable silence at last. Artemis and a couple of her hunters had been around the dining pavilion and she just managed to hear his words, but they had captured her attention entirely.

"A number of us Vanguardians will fall in this battle, but all of our loved ones will survive this fight. I want you all to know right now that it has been a pleasure to fight alongside you as brothers and sisters these past two hundred years. I'd rather have no one else by my side than you guys. Go get some rest and see your loved ones. Tomorrow we fight the Angel of Darkness, Chaos' twin, for the fate of the universe." Percy nodded before he flashed over to where he knew Artemis was and teleported them over to Chaos' realm.

Line break.

She slapped him hard, "How could you not tell me that you aren't expecting to survive this fight!?" She bellowed, her rage was unstable. She looked at Percy with hurt eyes. Percy looked straight into them, "Because no matter who dies, you still live. I love you, that makes you part of the prophecy." Percy said, his hands on her shoulders. Artemis tried to say something but instead she forced Percy's lips into hers. She'd had enough of this. They were in his underwater palace. She pulled him into his grand personal room.

"If there's a possibility that you could die… Would you deny me of this night together? If you believe you are going to fall, then I need something to remember the only man I have ever loved. I am no fool Percy, I know what Chaos meant by the Angel of Darkness. She has the ability to kill beyond the immortality that you Vanguards have. If you die by her hand, you'll never return to me." Artemis choked, a tear escaping her eyes. Percy looked wide-eyed at Artemis. He knew that she'd been wanting to break her vow with him for a while now, but she was finally giving him an ultimatum. Not even that, she wasn't offering, she was morally cornering him. Smart goddess, he thought.

"You wish to have a child tonight?" Percy said it bluntly. She nodded at him. "Well then, who am I to deny the woman I love? Know this, I have no intention of dying, you are willing to do this even though I might survive?" Percy asked her, taking his hand in his.

"Perseus Jackson do you love me or not?" She was getting impatient with him now.

"Not when you call me Perseus." He tried to be serious but he couldn't hold in that smile any longer.

"Come here you." She smiled at him before kissing him lovingly.

**A/N: Next chapter will be a LONG one as it's the final chapter of the story. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it this far!**


	56. The Angel Of Chaos

**Chapter 56 – The Angel Of Chaos**

Percy ran out of the Chaos cabin. The horn around the camps edge had gone off. Monsters were approaching fast. "This is it everyone. She approaches!" Percy bellowed louder than any human should have been able to shout. The Vanguardians all appeared within the blink of an eye. The camp grounds around them had turned into a warzone waiting to happen. They were ready for this. Each Vanguard was solely to be fighting Chaos with the Guardians, Greeks, Romans, Hunters fighting against the tide of never ending monsters. Only when the angel was defeated would the tide eventually stem and cease.

The groups all gathered for one final talk. "You've all seen war before. It isn't pretty, I can't say anything now to blind fold you from the truth. The Vanguard has its own prophecy. A number of us will perish in this battle but we WILL prevail over the angel no matter what. We do not know who will fall, but all we ask is that you fight like the demi-gods of legend, and show that army what for!" Percy's speech was inspirational and he received a huge round of cheers from everyone. This was it. The army was banging against the shield of the camp.

"Vanguard, let's show them the true might of Chaos!" Dante cheered, spurring everyone on. He was the first to unsheathe his blade. He turned towards the rapidly degrading shield before bursting into full blown war mode. He decided that today he was going to let his anger overwhelm him, not only that but he was going to welcome it, he was going to consume it and make it a part of him. Only a few minutes had passed and already he was covered in his own layer of Greek fire that had been summoned on his skin from the anger inside of him. After a while of him senselessly mowing down the unending army he realized that none were attacking him any longer, it was as if they'd been given strict orders to ignore him and the other Vanguard.

Looking up into the sky Percy had noticed her first, a beautiful version of Chaos herself, only this one had asset of feathery obsidian black wings keeping her aloft above the carnage below them. A few of the hunters sent a volley of silver arrows at her which bounced off of the thin air around her. She truly was as powerful as Chaos had mentioned. Now was the time for the Vanguard to do their thing.

Dante reasoned that if he was going to fight an opponent that could destroy his soul forever that his armour wouldn't do much but get in the way. He ripped it free of his body and let it fall to the ground, revealing his incredibly lean muscular physique below it. Artemis could kill him later for it, but right now he had a date with the Angel of Darkness. He, Percy and Taz all reared up into the sky to meet their match.

"Princes of the universe. Why serve her when you could do so much of a better job at spreading death around the universe instead of saving people's pathetic lives?" The Angel had a soft monotone that made her statement sound more like a genuine question rather than one that was designed to throw the princes off.

"Lady in case you haven't noticed, I'm doing a pretty good job at creating a brand new superfluous behind for your army." Dante worded it specifically so that the Angel would question him.

"Excuse me?" She asked, looking at him properly for the first time. Her eyes were unnerving even to him.

"I'm ripping it a new asshole." He grinned. She nodded.

"Yes, my forces have been quelled a great deal by you Vanguards. No matter, I'll just destroy your morale by the root, starting with the strongest of you." She quickly turned her head to Percy.

"Tell me Prince, would you still want to fight once I've strung Artemis up by her own entrails?" The angel grinned evilly before she vanished.

"Oh fu-" Before Percy could even shout against the angel's words, Dante had reached a new level and was very nearly hitting a nuclear power level. He glowed a violent green before following the angel to where he knew he'd seen Artemis only moments prior. When he got there he saw Artemis and her hunters having the time of their lives mowing down monster after monster. Dante stormed through the clearing, seeing the angel locking onto her prey. A sleek beautiful arm extended out from under those death black wings and a black light started to form at her fingertips. There was no way to warn Artemis in time of what was going to happen.

"NO!" Dante shouted in a rage as he managed to get the attention of both women. Artemis saw the black bullet of death heading straight for her but found herself unable to escape. Still rooted to the spot she noticed Dante's fiery form blur straight towards her before pushing her out of the way. She'd have made a comment about castrating him for touching her but she heard an agonizing scream erupt from him as the black beam penetrated his body and shot through his chest on the other side. Dante hit the ground with sweat pouring off of him in heavy beads. The other Vanguardians were literally right behind him and started their own personal little battle with the Angel. Artemis cradled the dying Dante in her arms and whistled loudly. Thalia zapped in with a look of confusion before her eyes laid on Dante.

"No." She whispered, barely able to keep it in. She crouched and took over form Artemis. "Thank you Dante. I can never repay what you have done for me." Artemis said before she forced herself back into the fight.

"Stay with me, please! You can't leave me, I love you!" Thalia pleaded. Dante's body was slowly turning into black dust from the wound outwards. He coughed and spluttered a bit before laughing some. "Don't worry, I'll always watch over you, and I'll always love you." He said before his body dissolved completely into black dust. Thalia let out a powerhouse scream of angst. The Angel had just killed the man she loved.

Percy was even more furious than Thalia. He turned towards the Angel with bright burning eyes. The sea green had turned into a furious black that pulsated with purple sparks outwards.

"No, it can't be. She chose an air aside from her own flesh and blood?" The Angel looked shocked at Percy. The others had never seen him like this.

"You just tried to kill the woman I love and in failing to get to her you resorted to killing my cousin. I'm going to murder you angel of darkness. I'm going to keep murdering you until there's no will left in your mind to return into existence. You WILL fade for this!" Percy spat before the ground trembled with his words. The other Vanguards knew not to get in his way, it was an unspoken thing, so they took their anger and rage out on the army of monsters for just killing one of their princes.

Percy sprang forwards and landed a punch with so much force that a miniature black hole erupted and closed in half a seconds around his fist. The angel was flung backwards throughout the camp as people started staring in awe. He couldn't do this here, not when so many were around him. He instantly closed the distance between himself and the angel before teleporting them to Chaos' realm. A risky and dangerous move to reunite the two halves, but he needed the space. They both plummeted towards the arid desert, more black holes were erupting around him. His sheer power was tearing at the fabric of reality itself.

"How is it that you became our chosen!?" The angel shrieked. Percy noticed that he was getting some results because the angel was referring to Chaos as a united entity between the two of them.

"Because I'm fighting for the people that I love, and nothing will harm them when I am living." Percy said with the angry snarl still in his voice. He was far more powerful than the angel had assessed, she couldn't understand where he was getting this much strength from.

"Well then, allow me to end this quickly Jackson, you seem to have a few tricks up your sleeve but with my black bullet, only one of us will survive." She grinned evilly as she unleashed a huge beam of deathly black energy that headed straight for him. He countered with his own source of energy, a purple and black orb that floated at the edge of his hands. He seemed to release it and gave it its own free will to seek the Angel. It powered through the black beam as Percy braced for death. The black hole orb exploded and sucked in everything apart from Percy and the angel who were both badly damaged from Percy's attack. He could create another one and certainly finish the fight, but he would be killed as well. Recovering from his downed position he summoned the entire might of the oceans in the realm and they were quickly engulfed by the seas. The battle raged on inside Percy's own domain where he gained even more power and with one final strike he unleashed a black hole in the angels face, engulfing her forever. The power necessary had put Percy in a comatose state but not before he managed to flash himself back to camp half-blood.

Line Break

Artemis was the one to confirm that the battle was over. The war had finished as quickly as it started. It was evident that Percy had defeated the angel at last but he was nowhere to be found. She was stalking the perimeter for any leftover monsters when Taz ran up to her.

"We've found Percy, you need to see this." He looked pale, he had already lost a cousin today, he wasn't about to lose another. They all rushed over to where Reilly was shooting through the sky in a plume of black smoke on an intercept course to catch a falling Prince. It was obvious that Percy was unconscious and still falling from such a high altitude would hurt, possibly kill him.

Reilly caught him and brought him back down to the ground below them where Artemis rushed over to him. He wasn't breathing but he was still alive. "Apollo!" She shouted towards the heavens. Within an instant the sun god had flashed in through a bright golden light and headed straight over to the son of Poseidon. He tried his best but it took time. After five minutes of suspense Percy chocked out a breath of black and purple smoke.

"What the hell is that?" Apollo demanded backing away instinctively. Percy spluttered a little bit.

"A mixture of that horrible black stuff and a black hole I created in order to defeat the angel." Percy muttered behind closed eyes.

"It's over. But I'm pretty tired." Percy muttered once again. Apollo seemed to have snapped back into medic mode.

"No, don't sleep, you need to keep your adrenaline going before the nectar can heal you enough. Artemis keep him talking." Apollo demanded as he sped up the healing process.

Artemis took Percy by the hand and whispered something quickly into his ear. He instantly shot up from the floor. Tendrils of purple and black smoke that had stars aligning them swirled in and around his body until he seemed fully healed. He stretched his arms before checking his fingers. He could only pull that trick off once, but it seemed like a good idea given what he'd just heard. His eyes snapped to Artemis.

"Is it true?" He asked once he'd finally found her voice. She nodded eagerly.

"Is what true?" Apollo asked nervously after watching the exchange of looks between the various different members of the Vanguard.

"A baby is on the way." Artemis whispered. Shock horror donned the faces of everyone around them.

Line Break

The news reached Olympus and before anyone realized what was happening, Percy was in front of a very wide eyed council.

"So you…" He pointed at Percy.

"And my daughter…" He pointed at Artemis before making a crude motion with his hands before Percy nodded. Zeus almost reached for his master bolt, but he knew that it would do no damage. Even then he found himself fond of the princes of the universe and didn't mind him being the one to finally change Artemis from her old ways.

"Of course." Chaos chimed in happily.

"The baby will be the most powerful child in the universe. I believe this calls for a personal realm." Chaos said at last with a happy sigh. Percy whispered to her that they had suffered loses as well. Dante for one had been killed by the angel's black bullet and couldn't reform.

"Today we triumphed over an ancient evil, today we got news of a great turn of events." Percy winked at Artemis who blushed furiously. "But today we also lost someone incredibly close to us all. A monument is being built in all of the kingdoms in the universe to recognize his sacrifice. Dante Krios, you will never be forgotten." Percy announced. A single tear escaped his eye before he forced himself to leave the company of the council.

**One Year later.**

Percy walked into the bedroom to see a beautiful goddess hugging her child.

"He's got a mischievous glint to his eye." Percy announced as he came over and sat on the big bed next to her.

"He's got his mother's silver eyes which confuses me a little bit. I always though my eyes were more prominent." Percy continued, staring lovingly at Artemis before turning back to his son. His thoughts wandered back to the events of the past year where they'd fought Chaos' angel. Everything they'd worked hard for in the past two hundred years had been torn down in a single day. He forced his mind on to happier thoughts though. Olympus had been saved once again. His cousin's sacrifice had meant that he had eternity to be with his love and child. Chaos was content with living with her princes once again but yet she mourned more than the others had for her adopted son of sorts. Hades and Nico took the worst of it, knowing that despite their immense power over the dead souls, that they would never be able to see their family member again. Percy knew that Dante would physically hurt him for mourning. He would have taken that bullet for anyone of the Vanguard or their loved ones and he knew that his brother in arms would have done the same for him.

Percy turned and kissed Artemis before taking her son out of her arms and walking over to the cot in the edge of her bed. "Sleep well Dante my son. You've got a busy life ahead of you." Percy announced before he lay the resting child down in his bed. Percy couldn't help but smile at how proud he was with his family and in that moment he was glad to be immortal.

**A/N: So not as long as I thought it would be. Sorry to disappoint the reviewer who wanted lemon but I'd already written way past that when I read your review. Someone else suggested a sequel. Let me know what you guys want to see, because if I do a sequel it will be a decent amount removed from this story line. I have just recently started another PJO fic called 'A Trip Through Time' it's AU but I think you guys might like it, so go check that out if you want, otherwise PM me if you want a sequel to this story. Thanks for sticking with me this far, I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have ****J**


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